Simpsons store becomes an 'experience'

Springfield’s Kwik-E-Mart just got real.

An actual version of the convenience store from The Simpsons has opened in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, this weekend.

It sells several products from the show, including Buzz Cola, Heat-Lamp Hot Dogs, and Lard Lad Donuts and Squishees in a number of flavours.

The Kwik-E-Mart – an artist's impression of which is pictured above – will be followed later this year by the Azetc Theater, the cinema from the long-running cartoon, which will be a ticketed Simpsons 'experience'.

Michael Needham, chief executive of SimEx-Iwerks Entertainment, the company behind the project, said it was 'the culmination of years of passionate effort to bring The Simpsons to life beyond the screen,' adding: 'We are creating a series of memorable moments enriched with tremendous detail throughout the attraction so that guests feel they are part of The Simpsons universe.'

The Simpsons is currently in its 30th season, having produced more than 600 episodes. But the Kwik-E-Mart owner Apu Nahasapeemapetilon has become the subject of controversy for its stereotypical portrayal of Indian immigrants.

Published: 20 Aug 2018