These NYC Roommates Created a Fake Restaurant and Accidentally Garnered a 2,000-Person Waitlist — So They Opened a Pop-up for Real. The Gen Z'ers dubbed their apartment "Mehran's Steak House" on Google Maps during the pandemic.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

A group of friends in New York City may have pulled off the ultimate prank after opening a fake restaurant that began as a Google Maps joke, per the New York Times.

During the pandemic, roommates Willy Hopps and Mehran Jalali lived in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan where they would often cook meals together, eventually labeling their apartment on Google Maps as "Mehran's Steak House."

Friends would add fake reviews to the location listing and the roommates made a website where they would take "reservations."

Except there was one problem — over 2,000 people actually signed up to dine at a restaurant that didn't exist.

Watch on TikTok

Instead of revealing the entire thing to be a farce, the roommates decided there was nothing left to do — but to actually create a restaurant popup for an evening. After gaining a liquor license, staff, and a venue, the restaurant opened for a one-night pop-up in the East Village last Saturday night.

"I think I counted only 30 or so tables and there were probably 50 people on staff," one diner named Kyle Hertzog told local outlet ABC 7. "You could tell the majority of them probably did not wait a table in their lives."

The menu included veal meatballs, bruschetta, ribeye steaks, and more.

An ob-gyn who attended the special evening with her husband caught on early that something was amiss.

"We were laughing because it was like, 'Do you think we're being punked?'" Leigh Wade told the Times.

Most diners realized the entire charade was, well, a charade by the end of the night, but according to the New York Post, one diner is actually threatening legal action against the men after being duped.

If you can make it there, you can really make it anywhere!

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Starting a Business

A Teen With Cerebral Palsy Pitched a Creative Product in School. He Got a B- — Then Grew the Business to $5 Million a Year Anyway.

Drew Davis, founder of Crippling Hot Sauce, uses humor and business to make a major impact.

Franchise

Taco Bell Is Teaming Up With a Major AI Firm to Speed Up Service — And Increase Accuracy

Select Taco Bell and Pizza Hut locations are testing AI technology that streamlines drive-thru orders, optimizes restaurant operations, and enhances customer experiences.

Business News

'Done a Lot of Difficult and Significant Things': Elon Musk Says These Current and Former CEOs Are the 'Smartest'

The once icy relationship between Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos has appeared to thaw.

Business News

Generative AI Is Creating Power Struggles and 'Tearing Companies Apart,' According to a New Survey

More than one out of three executives surveyed said they found the adoption of generative AI at their companies to be a major disappointment.