Changes

The area that is today known as the The Friar's Nook opened as Lancer's Inn in early 1973 (although some websites mistakenly name 1971 as the restaurant's opening year) <ref> http://passport2dreams.blogspot.com/2010/10/shakedown-at-magic-kingdom.html </ref>. The restaurant remained essentially the same until it was renamed Gurgi's Munchies and Crunchies following the release of The Black Cauldron in 1986 <ref> http://www.fromscreentotheme.com/CloserLookFriarsNook.aspx </ref>. The restaurant kept that name until February 13, 1993 when it was renamed Lumiere's Kitchen <ref> https://d23.com/a-to-z/lumieres-kitchen/ </ref>. The popularity of the Lumiere's Kitchen began to dwindle however, and the dining establishment began to only operate seasonally <ref name= "screen"> http://www.fromscreentotheme.com/SundayBrunchVillageFryeShoppe.aspx </ref>. Finally, in 2006 Lumiere's Kitchen became one of the McDonald's dining locations located in the Magic Kingdom <ref name= "screen"/>. At this time, the restaurant was renamed the Village Fry Shoppe. Following the end of Disney's partnership with McDonald's in March 2009 , the Village Fry Shoppe closed, before eventually reopening as the Friar's Nook on March 26, 2009 <ref> http://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/the-friars-nook.htm </ref>. Since that time the restaurant has not seen any major changes.