Check out the real places in Scranton referenced in NBC’s ‘The Office.’
The hit sitcom “The Office” was famously set in northeastern Pennsylvania’s Scranton, a former anthracite coal capital and archetypal post-industrial city. In each episode, the opening credits reminded viewers they would be visiting Scranton by showing a sign declaring “Scranton Welcomes You.” Footage of the downtown Electric City Sign and the historic Pennsylvania Paper and Supply Company star John Krasinski recorded himself while exploring Scranton to prepare for his role as office worker Jim Halpert.
Yet, aside from the title sequence, the real Scranton is rarely on screen; the show was filmed almost entirely in California.
Still, real Scranton references, businesses, and landmarks pepper the dialogue in the show, so much so that fans of “The Office” regularly make pilgrimages to Scranton to take photos of the familiar Penn Paper building and visit character haunts like Cooper’s Seafood House. In fact, the Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau has even published a self-guided tour covering “The Office” landmarks in Scranton.
Here’s our list of Scranton sites—both the famous and the deep cuts—that made an appearance in the NBC comedy.
Penn Paper Tower
“The Office” fictional paper company, Dunder Mifflin, was inspired by the century-old, Scranton-based Pennsylvania Paper and Supply Company. In fact, Penn Paper employees were interviewed as part of research for the TV show. So, it makes sense that the company’s Penn Paper Tower in downtown Scranton—seen in every episode via the show’s opening credits—has become emblematic of the hugely popular show.
Fans of “The Office” can visit Penn Paper Tower during the day and check out pictures and memorabilia from the show inside the lobby. The spot is also a great photo op—Penn Paper even added a Dunder Mifflin sign to the side of the building, in addition to the famous “Penn Paper” sign.
“Scranton Welcomes You” sign
Featured in the show’s title sequence, the recognizable sign reading “Scranton Welcomes You” and “Embracing Our People, Our Traditions & Our Future” was once alongside the road at the Scranton exit off Interstate 81. However, “The Office” fans would frequently (and dangerously) pull over for photos, so the sign was moved to the second floor of the Marketplace at Steamtown for safer photo opportunities.
The Marketplace at Steamtown
In addition to housing the “Scranton Welcomes You” sign, the Marketplace at Steamtown—formerly (and still informally) known as the Steamtown Mall—was mentioned a number of times by the characters on “The Office.” In fact, in the episode “Women’s Appreciation,” Steve Carell’s character Michael Scott takes the women of the office on a trip to the Steamtown Mall—and a shot of the real, Scranton-based mall is used, even though interior scenes were filmed at a mall in Sherman Oaks, Calif.
“Electric City” sign
Scranton’s “Electric City” sign is a historic landmark in Scranton, with its words “Scranton The Electric City” first seen on top of what would become the Scranton Electric Company in the early 1900s. The sign celebrated Scranton’s industriousness as an early adopter of electricity, particularly the electric streetcar. Its more than 1,000 light bulbs in red, green, and white shone on the city’s downtown until the sign went dark mid-century, but a community effort turned it back on in 2004—allowing it to light up our television screens on “The Office.”
The sign gained new fans with “The Office” episode “The Merger,” which featured Michael and Rainn Wilson’s Dwight Schrute rapping an ode to Scranton dubbed “Lazy Scranton.” The song, made for an orientation video for new employees at Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch, includes a shot of the famous sign—and the line “Lazy Scranton, the Electric City, they call it that ‘cause of the electri-city.”
Cooper’s Seafood House
Most of the local restaurants mentioned on “The Office” are just that—mentioned. But a real shot of Cooper’s Seafood House in Scranton makes an appearance in the episode “Business Ethics” when Michael and Amy Ryan’s Holly Flax eat lunch at the restaurant. Cooper’s is also referenced multiple times throughout the show, whether it’s being suggested as a place to dine or it’s featured on a character’s T-shirt.
Today, Cooper’s—which has been serving seafood to the Scranton community since 1948—has leaned into its connection to the TV show and is even home to a large gift shop filled with souvenirs and memorabilia from “The Office.”
Poor Richard’s Pub
On “The Office,” Poor Richard’s Pub is a favorite local watering hole for the staff of Dunder Mifflin. It’s where the staff often go for a drink, where they watch the local ad they filmed for Dunder Mifflin, and where David Denman’s Roy Anderson starts smashing stuff after Jenna Fischer’s Pam Beesly tells him she kissed Jim (I imagine that’s not a spoiler if you’ve read this far).
The real Poor Richard’s Pub is located inside Idle Hours Entertainment Center South, a bowling alley and family fun center with an arcade, laser tag, and other activities. The bar has a large menu of pub food and sells its own (“The Office” and Poor Richard’s) merch.
Chili’s Scranton Branch in Dickson City
According to Michael, a Chili’s restaurant—part of the national chain—is just a few blocks from Dunder Mifflin. It’s at that Chili’s where we see the Dundies take place—Michael’s cringy awards ceremony for his employees. However, the restaurant in the Season 2 opening episode (and where Pam receives a permanent ban) is not a real Chili’s (and there was no Chili’s in Scranton). Instead, production modeled an abandoned restaurant after the Chili’s concept—and even had Chili’s executives on site to make sure they nailed the set design.
But just last year, a new Chili’s opened in the Scranton area. And it’s of particular interest to fans of “The Office,” because the Chili’s in Dickson City is a replica of the 2005-era Chili’s that appeared in the show. It’s also the only Chili’s in the country to serve the “awesome blossom”—a deep fried onion previously on the Chili’s menu that makes an appearance in the episode “The Client.”
“[W]e created Chili’s Scranton Branch to feel like a familiar home to fans, complete with the perfect throwback menu item in the Awesome Blossom, and we can’t wait for them to join us,” Chili’s chief marketing officer, George Felix, said in a statement upon the restaurant’s opening.
Alfredo’s Cafe
Unlike the fictional Pizza by Alfredo—which Brian Baumgartner’s Kevin Malone says serves pizza that tastes like “a hot circle of garbage”—Alfredo’s Pizza Cafe is the pizza place of choice for the staff at Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton Branch.
And Alfredo’s Cafe is a real place in Scranton! You can find “the good pizza” in the city’s South Side Shopping Center. The restaurant serves thick pan pizza, plus other quality Italian food.
