A ‘Suite Life’ restaurant gag aired nearly 15 years ago — it comes full circle today
Zack and Cody, party of two? Your table is finally ready.
Nearly 15 years ago, Disney Channel’s “The Suite Life on Deck” poked fun at the exclusive nature of fine dining when troublesome twins Zack and Cody Martin (Dylan and Cole Sprouse) attempted to get a table at a restaurant in Italy. What first seemed like an out-of-reach reservation in 2009 has become an unofficial holiday for “Suite Life” fans this week.
A clip from the series’ “When in Rome ...” episode has resurfaced on social media as fans celebrate the fictional twins’ dinner reservation finally arriving.
“I have been waiting for 15 years for this day! Zack and Cody can finally have their Italian Food!,” celebrated X user @Cosmicveng.
At 25, Coco Jones has already starred in a Disney Channel movie and been dropped by a record label. Now, she’s a top contender for the best new artist Grammy.
“Dylan & Cole Sprouse you guys better eat your Italian dinner for the sake of our childhoods!!,” wrote @__woahitstori.
In the 2009 episode, Zack, Cody and their friends dock in the Italian capital to take a break from their cruise ship school shenanigans. Interested in the finer things in life, Cody brings Zack to a restaurant run by the famous Chef Gigi — the so-called “Michelangelo of manicotti.”
Inside the restaurant, they meet the stuck-up Chef Gigi (Sandra Purpuro) who tells the brothers she has an opening for dinner. “I can squeeze you in at 7:30 ... on Nov. 16 of 2023,” she says. Yes, that’s 7:30 p.m., today.
“That’s in 15 years,” Cody replies.
“What if I don’t feel like Italian that day?” Zack jokes.
From theme parks to animation and kids’ programming, Walt Disney Co. has revolutionized the entertainment business since its launch a century ago.
At the end of the episode, only Zack gets to sample Chef Gigi’s cooking after Cody’s scheme to work as kitchen staff ends in a saucy mess. Zack tells the five-star chef, “your stuff is a close second” to his preferred cowboy-themed spaghetti (“cowboyghetti”).
Disney Channel has also joined in on the celebrations. On Tuesday, the network’s official X (formerly Twitter) account shared a photo of text messages. “This is a reminder that you’re booked at Gigi’s for dinner,” the text message reads. Another message confirms the reservation for two.
“The reservation we’ve been waiting 15 years for is almost here,” Disney Channel captioned its photo.
In another post on Wednesday, Disney Channel shared the reservation scene. “*Checks watch* well it’s about time,” said the caption, which also featured an eye-roll emoji.
Google also played with the date Thursday with a mini chyron that reads, “Table for ✌️?,” when users search “Zack and Cody” or “Suite Life on Deck.”
Alyson Stoner revealed they were “uncomfortable” experiencing their first kiss on camera at 12 years old, and detailed the “weirdness” of wardrobe fittings as a child actor.
Since getting the reservation, the Martin twins have traveled the seas, started romantic relationships and graduated from the S.S. Tipton’s Seven Seas High School. Off-screen the Sprouse twins have also reached several milestones.
In 2015, the twins, now 31, graduated from New York University. Cole studied archaeology while Dylan turned his focus to video game design.
After college, Cole continued his acting career. Most recently, he wrapped his time on the CW’s “Riverdale,” where he played Jughead Jones. His recent credits also include the films “Moonshot” and “Five Feet Apart,” and the podcast series “Borrasca.”
Dylan, on the other hand, began his winery All-Wise Meadery in early 2017. In July, he and longtime girlfriend, model Barbara Palvin, 30, tied the knot in her home country of Hungary.
“I think the definition of marriage is very different for our generation than what it meant for the previous one,” Dylan said in a June interview with his brother. “For me, at least, marriage is a promise of kind of loving you endlessly and being your partner.
The complete guide to home viewing
Get Screen Gab for everything about the TV shows and streaming movies everyone’s talking about.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
