SPOKANE, Wash. — Step into Ferguson's Cafe in Spokane's Garland District and you might feel like you've stepped right into a movie scene. The cafe's one of the locations filmed for the 1993 film Benny and Joon.
"That movie is a huge part of why we do well here," Dave Jones, the owner of Ferguson's Cafe, said.
Now 30 years later, the cafe's one of multiple businesses celebrating the film's anniversary.
"We got a sandwich that we're doing. It's a grilled cheese and a fry and Benny and Joon milkshake, which is basically captain crunch and peanut butter milkshake," Jones said.
The romantic comedy-drama stars familiar faces, such as Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Aiden Quinn. Familiar places are also featured, including Riverfront Park, the Maple Street Bridge, and the previously mentioned Ferguson's Café.
"I've done this my whole life in Spokane, so I will probably be busy without it but it actually adds a lot to my business having that done here," Jones said.
Ashley Graham is the mastermind behind the movie's celebration.
"I remember seeing this movie when I was nine years old at the Garland Theater with my mom," Graham said.
Graham hopes others get the chance to feel the magic she did as a young girl.
"This movie remains such an important part of my personal history. Because this is the Spokane that I grew up in. It looks like it, it feels like it, this story feels like Spokane," Graham said.
Another business joining in on the fun, is Revival Tea Company, with their 'Joon's tapioca crunch' as its special drink of the month. Other spots include Indaba Coffee with its movie-inspired matcha drink and the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture's showcase of props from the movie.
"It's been a fun opportunity to almost like go back in time and see what Spokane looked like back in the 90s. Maybe to like, a simpler time," Drew Henry, Revival Tea Company's owner, said.
Jones considers Benny and Joon to be one of the most beloved movies to come out of the lilac city.
"I don't think any of them has been as big as Benny and Joon," Jones said. "I mean, that's of course the biggest one in Spokane I think of all the films that are put out."
The Garland Theater has a showing of the movie on Saturday, July 15 and Sunday, July 16. Click here for information.
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