
In the earlier episodes, irrespective of how busy the coffee shop became, those seats were always available. The green chair on the right, the coffee table and the table and chair on the left are nearly always used as the main setting for any scenes in Central Perk. These, from the main camera angle, are behind the large orange sofa in the middle of the shop. Throughout the coffee shop are small tables with chairs that extras on the show usually occupy. Phoebe's former singing partner Leslie also performed there at least once. Ross also performed his keyboard music from there twice in " The One With Phoebe's Uterus". Phoebe was, at one point, replaced by Stephanie Schiffer, a professional who was hired by Terry. Phoebe Buffay was also a regular fixture in Central Perk, and played songs such as Smelly Cat to often bemused audiences. Gunther, however, points this out to him in " The One Where Paul's The Man", and that he was going to fire Joey anyway. This makes him quit his waiting job, which he does without mentioning anything to Gunther. However, later in the season, Joey's acting career takes a step forward when he gets the lead role in Mac & C.H.E.E.S.E. Unlike Rachel, however, this is mostly due to his immaturity coinciding with the house's policies. Like Rachel, Joey shows ineptitude at the job. His acting career being at a standstill, Joey is tight on money, so much that he can't afford paying for coffee. Joey becomes a waiter at the coffee shop half-way through Season 6. In Season 3, she decides to pursue the fashion business again after Gunther assigns her to re-training, quitting her waiting job to work with Fortunata Fashions, then moving on to Bloomingdale's. However, she does try for other job opportunities in fashion (mostly during Season 1), with little success. It quickly becomes clear that Rachel does not care for her job at Central Perk, only for her financial income. She also told Ross this when they had dinner with her father in " The One With The Race Car Bed" when she revealed she served "sneezers" to rude customers.

When Joey starts working at Central Perk, Rachel mentions that she would sneeze on the food of any customers who were rude to her. Ironically, in " The One With The Flashback", it is revealed that prior to getting this job, while out with her friends one night, she had responded to a waiter getting their drinks mixed up by remarking: "how hard is it to get a couple of drinks?".

Being pretty much a spoiled, self-centered individual throughout this period of her life, Rachel clearly shows ineptitude at work, mixing up orders, neglecting her waiting duties, and showing little care about where everything goes and how it should be done. Rachel works as a waitress at Central Perk from autumn 1994 until winter 1996/1997.
