LAHORE: When you walk into “Pearson Specter Litt,” do not expect to see a suave Harvey Specter bluff his way out of a jam with a billionaire client. Or to see Louis Litt ogling at his name placed prominently after “Pearson” and “Specter” on a well-lit wall as he takes a sip of the disgusting “Prunie.” At this Pearson Specter Litt, you’re only served coffee and pasta. And it’s right here in Lahore.
Inspired by the American TV drama “Suits,” Lahore-based businessman Muhammad Fayaz, 35, decided to open a café in the city that takes its name after the show’s fictional law firm. Located at Fairways Commercial area in Lahore, the facility is a tribute to the hugely popular show that ran from 2011 to 2019. Fayyaz opened the restaurant for customers in December last year.
The Suits vibe is felt everywhere inside the building. There’s a bunch of pictures hanging on the right wall as soon as one enters the café. In one of the pictures, Harvey Specter (played by Gabriel Macht) is seen standing in the midst, hands deep in his pockets and face locked in an intense expression, with the other partners huddled around him.
In another, Specter is seen with coffee in one hand and bagel in the other, as he probably delivers a witty retort to his protégé, Mike Ross, out on the street outside the firm. Each floor of the two-story café is well decorated and features numerous sofas. On the ground floor is a huge glass casing that shows off assorted cakes.
But why would someone in Lahore, where the show is not immensely popular, open a café themed after it? Fayyaz said it had to do with a “painful moment” in the show when the name “Pearson Specter Litt” was removed from the firm’s wall after Specter and Litt had to shed Pearson as a partner.
It was then that he decided to open a restaurant to offer the same “luxury” that the famous lawyers in the TV drama provided their billionaire clients.
“So, I said I’m going to put this name somewhere,” he told Arab News. “But I asked myself where I would put this name up, what should I start? Then, this idea [to open a café] came to me.”
“We chose Pearson Specter Litt [to brand the café] because, to some extent, I feel they represent luxury, they represent values and standards,” Fayyaz continued.
Two large snooker tables for customers at the Pearson Specter Litt on January 7, 2023 in Lahore. (AN Photo/Muhammad Islam)
Even the items on the menu are named after the three partners of the law firm, Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres), Specter and Litt (Rick Hoffman).
In the Poultry section of the menu, the cafe offers Litt Polo, a charcoal-grilled chicken served with creamy spice sauce and the chef’s choice of potato. In the pasta section, there’s Pearson Spicy Pasta that comprises spicy grilled chicken mixed with the chef’s special spicy creamy sauce.
“The most expensive items are named after Jessica [Pearson], while items that are hot but relatively less expensive are named after Harvey [Specter],” the café owner explained.
When customers want to have an item in large quantity, the waiters recommend them to go for “Louis Litt.”
A couple of framed stills of various scenes from the 'Suits' series hang on a wall inside the cafe on January 7, 2023. (AN Photo/Muhammad Islam)
“If anyone wants to buy a big item, whether it is soup, sandwich, burger or any other thing, we recommend them to have Louis Litt,” Fayyaz smiled. “This is because his face is very huge. So, we have named all big servings after him.”
Khurram Khan, 47, who came to the café to have coffee with family, said he wasn’t aware of the café’s theme or why it was named Pearson Specter Litt.
However, he said it was “unique” while admiring how all three floors were differently decorated.
“I think I heard the name [of the café] somewhere but I don’t know the real theme and background of this name,” Khan told Arab News.
“However, I appreciate the comfort, the atmosphere, especially on the mezzanine floor.”
Another customer, who preferred to remain anonymous, said he wasn’t aware of the café’s name as well and had only walked in for a cup of coffee.
However, Fayyaz said he admired the three characters due to their powerful on-screen presence.
“Jessica Pearson has a style of leadership that is outstanding, though I, like everyone else, liked the way she dressed,” he said.
“I also loved Harvey Specter and the way he bluffed his client,” he continued. “Louis Litt is shown as a character with knowledge who also has an emotional side to him.”
A large, framed still from 'Suits' shows Harvey Specter (played by Gabriel Macht) sipping coffee from his expensive New York apartment, on January 7, 2023. (AN Photo/Muhammad Islam)
Fayyaz said he hoped to open a chain of cafés across Pakistan and was trying to get the show’s top stars visit the facility in Lahore. He informed that he had asked one of his team members to reach out to the actors through email and social media and tell them about Pearson Specter Litt in Lahore.
“We want to invite them and inform them that we are such huge fans of yours that we have spent hundreds of millions to put your names up on our wall to keep them alive in a way,” he said.
“Hopefully, we will get the response sooner or later,” he continued. “I’m not a guy who gives up easily. Sooner or later, I’ll bring them [here].”
Muhammad Fayyaz, owner of the Pearson Specter Litt cafe, gestures during an interview with Arab News at the Manhattan Bar on January 7, 2023. (AN Photo/Muhammad Islam)
