This weekend the NHL will bring the fictional Stan Mikita’s Donuts to life for a pop-up restaurant during their all-star festivities. Stan Mikita’s All-Star Cafe presented by Honda will be the official name but the inspiration is from the classic movie Wayne’s World.
The effort will be brought together by Sports Illustrated and Entertainment Weekly to make use of the marriage of Hollywood and Hockey for the all-star weekend. No one is sure if there will be “sugar pucks” to eat but there will be round table discussions about hockey and Hollywood, player appearances and even screenings of Wayne’s World for the 25th anniversary.
Mike Myers said the inspiration for Stan Mikita’s was actually Tim Horton’s Donuts but since Wayne’s show was in Aurora he needed to connect it to Chicago. When Myers was a kid growing up Toronto he would choose to be the Blackhawks’ Mikita while playing street hockey. He felt that Stan looked like what a hockey player should look like and he always seemed to be clutch against the Leafs.
A whole generation of kids will remember his name from this movie but it is unfortunate that Stan Mikita will not be able to be there for health reasons. His family members will be there instead to share his stories.
In better news for Chicagoland residents, we can hope a similar pop-up will land in Aurora this summer. The city will be hosting a six month long celebration for the 25th anniversary of the movie.
