Smoke: Is Coop’s a Real Restaurant Chain?

In Apple TV+’s ‘Smoke,’ a chase of two serial arsonists leads two investigators down a dark road where they come face to face with their worst side. The story focuses on arson investigator Dave Gudsen and Detective Michelle Calderon, who team up to catch the two criminals who have terrorised the town by setting up fires and putting people’s lives in jeopardy. One of those people is revealed to be a man named Freddy Fasano, who works at a restaurant chain called Coop’s. This is an important location in the show as it presents a different side of the arsonist. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Coop’s is a Fictional Place That Holds an Important Place in Freddy’s Story

As shocking as the events of ‘Smoke’ might seem, they are based on real events, following the crimes committed by real arsonists. However, in bringing the real-life cases to the screen, certain changes have been made to the story, and Coop’s is one of those things. In the show, Freddy is a fictional rendering of a real-life arsonist called Thomas A. Sweatt, who also worked at restaurant chains like KFC during the day and would go around the city finding his next victim to burn by night. Because his workplace is such an important part of the story, the creators couldn’t have left it out, but instead of presenting different places that Thomas worked at, they chose the fictional place called Coop’s to give a more coherent arc to Freddy’s journey over the course of the season.

The show takes place in a city in the Pacific Northwest. However, the filming of the show took place in Canada, where the cities of Vancouver and Maple Ridge were transformed into an American setting. To bring a more realistic nature to the series, the crew found real locations to film various scenes. However, places like Coop’s were mainly filmed on set, especially the interior scenes, as it allowed the creators to manoeuvre the space better, especially in terms of Freddy’s love for burning things down. In real life, there is no place by the name of Coop’s, which might disappoint the fans, especially considering that the show used elaborate sets to film most of its scenes.

While Coop’s might not be a real place, it plays an integral role in presenting Freddy’s world, especially the loneliness that he suffers, and makes him turn to fire to make other, happier people suffer. The place is a prison for Freddy, but he also finds a sense of hope there, with a glimmer of possibility that perhaps he can do better. But at the same time, it also brings him down to such a level that he starts daydreaming about burning down the place, which doesn’t bode well for his employers.