NORTH BEND, Wash. — When “Twin Peaks” debuted on network television April 8, 1990, a small North Bend restaurant gained almost instant worldwide fame.
Twede’s Café was the backdrop for the show’s fictional Double R Diner.
More than 34 years later, fans still flock to the counter seats and comfortable booths for a “damn fine” cup of coffee, a slice of cherry pie and a sense of nostalgia.
"Every day, 365 days a year, someone comes here just because they love ‘Twin Peaks,’” said owner Max Spears. "This is the only place that really looks like it does in ‘Twin Peaks,’ so it's the only place where they can step into the world of ‘Twin Peaks.’"
Spears was born the year the show debuted and never imagined he and his wife Rachel Bennett would eventually own the diner.
"I have a PhD in philosophy and always thought I'd be in academia. She has a master's of midwifery and always thought she'd be delivering babies somewhere,” he said. "It just seemed like a really cool thing to do, because it was unique."
They joyfully honor the diner's worldwide fandom. There’s a “red hallway” adorned with framed photos of the set and cast. A super fan from Sweden and one of the café’s servers design merchandise like pins, keychains and t-shirts. Crowd-funding paid for a new neon “RR” sign on the restaurant’s exterior.
"The project was funded within 24 hours," Spears said. "It was really cool, very special."
Other fans donated a small television set with a built-in VHS player and original tapes of the series, so diners can watch an episode while they eat.
"People just like whimsy and the supernatural, and David Lynch does such a good job of making it seem like it's just part of everyday life,” Spears said. “I really look at ‘Twin Peaks’ as the forefather of how we think of modern TV dramas. This is the root from which modern television comes, and there's something that pulls people in through that."
For non-fans, the classic American diner menu (with items like the cheeseburger omelette) is all the reason they need to stop in. Extra-large servings practically guarantee leftovers.
And Twede’s is serious about serving homemade cherry pie that lives up to Agent Dale Cooper's famous description: "This must be where pies go when they die."
The restaurant now ships pies to fans around the country via Goldbelly.
"I'm just happy that people are still interested in both Twin Peaks and our little diner and we really like being here and a big part of North Bend, and bringing people nice, big plates of food,” Spears said.
Twede’s Café is open daily from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. It’s located at 137 W. North Bend Way.
Other locations from "Twin Peaks" are listed here.
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