Famous Peter Luger steakhouse fills empty seats with wax versions of celebrities
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Iconic steakhouse Peter Luger has reopened its doors to both diners and celebrity wax figures to celebrate the return of indoor dining in New York City.
This week, as restaurants were allowed to increase occupancy to 35 per cent, the Brooklyn restaurant announced that it had partnered with Madame Tussauds to bring patrons, both wax and otherwise, indoors to “ensure guests continue to follow social distancing safety measures”.
The unique collaboration means that New Yorkers who may have always wanted to have dinner across from John Hamm orAudrey Hepburn can now make their dreams a partial reality.
In photos of the restaurant’s new set up, a wax Al Roker can be seen inviting guests in, while others see restaurant staff posing with Hamm, Jimmy Fallon and Michael Strahan.
“The restaurant industry is vital to New York City’s economy, and it’s been particularly hard hit this past year,” said vice president of Peter Luger, Daniel Turtel. “We’re excited to welcome diners back indoors at 35 per cent, and thought this would be a fun, safe way to fill some of the seats that need to remain empty as we continue to fight the pandemic. It has been wonderful working with the fabulous team at Madame Tussauds New York.”
During visits, guests are allowed to take selfies with the wax figures, with vice president David Berson assuring the New York Post the celebrity lookalikes are “all Covid free” and “living their best lives”.
The opportunity to dine with the life-like celebrity figures won’t last long, however, as Peter Luger’s only plans to keep its famous guests, which were installed Wednesday, in the 134-year-old restaurant until 1 March.
On social media, the seat-filling tactic for ensuring the restaurant’s dining room is both safe but not completely empty has been met with mixed reactions, with some applauding the idea while others called it “creepy”.
“Peter Luger using Madame Tussauds celebrity wax figures to fill empty seats is both genius and creepy af,” one person tweeted, while another said: “It’s great steak no matter who is sitting next to you.”
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