Jessie Spano would be so excited about this. Saved by the Bell fans can eat at a pop-up restaurant modeled after the crew’s beloved diner The Max.
Saved by the Max is now open in West Hollywood, and patrons will feel like they stepped directly into the ‘90s sitcom when dining there. The menu includes “gourmet” classics such as AC sliders, mac and Screech and Bayside burgers. Zack, Kelly, Slater and Jessie’s lockers, filled with instantly recognizable mementos, greet guests upon their arrival. Fans can even eat in Mr. Belding’s office without the risk of hearing “Hey, hey, hey.”
Several cast members have shown an interest in paying Saved by the Max a visit. “We had Mario [Lopez] at the Chicago one, and he loved it,” operating partner Derek Berry tells Us Weekly. “We had Ed [Alonzo,] who played Max on the show. We have Mr. Belding [Dennis Haskins] coming here tomorrow morning. People walk in and they look like they are going to faint. They are really excited, and they are happy that the brand is still alive and doing things. I saw Mark-Paul [Gosselaar] on TMZ last week saying that he wanted to see it.”
Berry offers this incentive to the cast: “Here’s your invitation to come in! It’s in their backyard, so I think it’s a lot easier to get to than Chicago.” Alonzo tells Us that Lopez and Gosselaar are already planning to swing by and shoot a segment.
For his part, the fictional Max proprietor is excited to see the diner bring joy to so many fans: “I had the least amount of lines and the least amount of scenes, and now to have a shrine built to The Max is unbelievable!”
Patrons may even see Alonzo if they’re lucky. “I won’t always be here to serve them, but on some special occasions, I will be,” he says.
Saved by the Max might only be the beginning of TV restaurants stepping into the real world. Berry partnered with NBC to launch the officially licensed pop-up diner, and he’s open to recreating Beverly Hills, 90210’s Peach Pit, Friends’ Central Perk and Seinfeld’s Monk’s.
