Monstropolis doesn’t open its doors to humans until 2027, but Disney is already giving us a taste of what we’ll be eating once we get there. In a new Disney Parks Blog feature, Chef Brian Piasecki, Director of Culinary and Concept Development, and Beverage Director Evan Rosenthal shared early details on the two restaurants coming to the Monsters, Inc. land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Harryhausen’s and Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza.
The Challenge: Food for Monsters That Humans Actually Want to Eat
The team’s job was an unusual one. Every dish had to feel like something a monster would order while still being something guests would happily finish. According to the culinary team, that led to some questions they never expected to debate in a test kitchen, like whether monsters slurp or chew, and whether a plate can ever have too many eyeballs.
Piasecki described the land as full of zaniness and adventure, and said the approach is to start with familiar dishes and layer on surprising twists that fit the world of the films. The team has a nickname for the result: “grossly fun” food.
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Rosenthal added that the collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering often pushed things further than expected. When the culinary team wondered if an idea went too far, the answer was sometimes to make it bigger and bolder.
Harryhausen’s: Sushi, Ramen and a Tentacled Head Chef
Harryhausen’s, the upscale sushi spot from Monsters, Inc., will be a table service restaurant at Monstropolis. Imagineers are recreating the restaurant as it appeared in the film, and that includes its head sushi chef. He’ll be a brand new Audio-Animatronic figure working in the middle of the dining room, using all eight tentacles to prepare food.
Disney says the menu will go beyond sushi. Among the dishes currently being developed are ramen bowls built on traditional Japanese foundations like rich tonkotsu broth and alkaline noodles, then finished with monster touches such as fishcake sliced to look like eyeballs and green eggs.
Rosenthal said the goal is for Harryhausen’s to feel like a swanky night out while still working for younger guests, with dishes that are both delicious and entertaining enough to get people talking.
Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza: A Monsters University Hangout
Down the street, Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza takes its inspiration from Monsters University. This quick service location is designed to feel like the pizza place generations of MU students have hit up after class. Rosenthal said the team leaned into nostalgia for childhood neighborhood pizza shops, then added unexpected fun on top.
Blort Makes Its Real World Debut
Archie’s will also be home to Blort, the popular Monstropolis soda that fans spotted in Monsters University. Since no human has ever tasted it, the beverage team had freedom to invent. The version being teased is a purple frozen take on the soft drink, topped with a Scream Apple Foam.
Staying True to the Films
Disney stressed that every menu choice starts with what fans already know and love from the movies. Rosenthal summed up the team’s mindset by saying the goal is to create something uniquely Disney, “whether that’s with one eyeball or dozens of them.”
Monstropolis is set to open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2027. Menus and pricing have not been finalized, and Disney notes these items are still being explored, so expect changes before opening day. We’ll keep you posted as more details are announced.
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