A local restaurant in Beacon themed after the hit BBC television show, Doctor Who, has been overrun by fans from near and far.

The former Cup and Saucer Tea Room at 165 Main Street was redecorated a couple of weeks ago and renamed "The Pandorica" in tribute to the cult sci-fi program.  Word spread quickly on the Internet and this past weekend brought hundreds of Doctor Who fans to the small Beacon cafe, overwhelming the staff and shuttering doors for portions of the day.

A. Boris
A. Boris
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The menu consists of food with a British influence such as cottage pie, bangers and mash along with the usual wraps and sandwiches.  Whovians will appreciate some culinary nods to the show, such as the "Sweeties" desert menu featuring the 11th Doctors favorite; Fish Fingers and Custard.

I arrived on Monday afternoon at 2pm to a long line of customers patiently waiting outside.  The crowd was mostly decked out in Doctor Who t-shirts with a few fans wearing costumes and carrying props.  Upon entering the cafe I noticed that most tables were empty.  The small staff seemed very stressed.  It's very clear that everyone involved with this cafe was unprepared for it to go "viral."  There was a warning posted on The Pandorica's Facebook page that read:

I'm simply going to say that I'm sorry we will not be opening today until possibly 1:30 this is a repeat of yesterdays post.
I you are some what local and would like a happier experience I suggest waiting a few weeks for us to get well into the swing of things....I appreciate everything that's happening and don't want to dissapoint any one with an unhappy experience.

A server told me that the owner was too busy to talk but would allow me to take pictures and look around, so I took her up on the offer and poked around before talking to the crowd outside.  A television was playing old episodes of the show while most diners silently typed away on their phones.  Others were discussing the upcoming season premiere.  Although the ambiance was a bit awkward, fans will certainly appreciate the decor.  The bathroom is themed like the Doctor's Tardis, a British police telephone box that is actually a spacecraft and time machine.  Much like the real thing, the bathroom is made to look much larger on the inside.

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A. Boris
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Out on Main Street the atmosphere was much more festive than the quiet tone inside the cafe.  Fans from all over were busy discussing the show that compelled them to make their pilgrimage to Beacon.  I spoke to fans from New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and even as far away as Montreal.  Most of them said that they had heard about the cafe on Facebook and felt the need to come and see it for themselves.

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A. Boris
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Judging by the wait time (at least an hour, if not more) it's safe to say that locals who want to experience The Pandorica should heed the owner's request and wait a few weeks until crowds die down and the staff is more prepared to deal with the onslaught of fans.  Until then, check out our gallery of photos and let us know if you plan on visiting.

 

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