Harri's Restaurant;
This is meant to represent the rudimentary, painted sign. I don't suck at Photoshop. XD
Found snug in the middle of the Avenue of the Americas in NYC, The Walrus & The Carpenter is a spooky, Wonderland-themed restaurant. It consists of three floors of fun, music and magic. It caters to all sorts of people, from those seeking a unique and fun atmosphere to those seeking a delicious meal that won't break your checkbook. It is also a terrific venue for local bands who want to showcase their acts.
The ground floor is where the bar and much of the main dining area is located. Diners follow paintings of the Cheshire Cat as he "disappears" and "reappears" in the hand-painted murals along the walls from the front door to the maitre-d's desk. The desk itself appears to be a large book with the words "We're all mad here" in gold letters on its cover. The entire interior of the restaurant is decorated with painted scenes from the Tulgey Wood, where Alice loses herself.
The top floor of the restaurant is decorated in much the same way, apart from the bar. This is where most of the families will be situated, and there are two party rooms toward the back which allow for private birthday festivities. This floor also includes various paintings of the Caterpillar, bread-and-butterflies, the White Rabbit running frantically through the Wood and Alice sitting sadly on her rock. And, if you look closely, you can see Tweedledum and Tweedledee peeking out from behind a shrubbery.
The basement of the restaurant is not open to families. It is more club-like in scene and includes a small stage for bands, as well as open-mic nights and karaoke parties. There is also a small dance floor and a wet bar. The lighting is much darker in the basement, which captures the mood of the scene as Alice finds herself lost and alone in an unfamiliar place. Still, the paintings on the walls are whimsical as they display umbrella birds enjoying a waterfall, horn ducks and, of course, the mome raths.
The restaurant focuses on this particular part of the story because Tulgey Wood is in Through The Looking Glass and it's what Harrison, as Tweedledum, called his home. The artwork is all similar to the Disney version, though some artistic license has been taken. It was all painted by Harri and a small crew of friends. It is not as hugely successful as Jekyll & Hyde, where Harrison used to work, but it is successful enough and it has attracted a loyal crowd of people as well as tourists looking for a good time at a cheap price!
Other points of note:
+ Harrison owns the restaurant, hosts it (while in his Nigel Venture guise) and also performs there with his band on weekends. He would host as Tweedledum, but he doesn't want to risk anyone finding out that he is Tweedledum. That, and he doesn't want to wear this.
+ The space used to be a small art studio.
+ He keeps the mirror in a back room on the ground floor that only he has access to. The room has a back door into an alley in case Tales wish to leave without being noticed, but it is also located near the restrooms in case they'd rather come into the restaurant and hang out after their travels. No one would think twice about people emmerging from the restroom area.
+ He offers a Tale discount to anyone who travels there. All Tales have to do is pay their checks through him rather than through a waitress or waiter.
+ He has had the restaurant for two years, after two years of development and fundraising.
Menu includes burgers, sandwiches, pizza, pasta and chicken wings. Basically, typical food fare. The desserts are your typical chocolate cake and ice cream with the addition of the Banana Strawberry Splitcake™ shaped like the Caterpillar and pavlova, New Zealand's famous dessert. Unlike at J & H where everyone assumed he was Australian, it is no secret here that he is a Kiwi. :)