Harry Potter New York Review

June 3rd, 2021 marked the grand opening of Harry Potter New York. The unveiling of the new store had a bit of a rainy start. But, as Ron Weasley oh-so-cheerfully suggested to Harry in Prisoner of Azkaban, we weren’t going to let the Muggles (or in this case, weather forecast) get us down. A dreary morning of lashing rain and gray skies wasn’t enough to deter the colorful crowd of people lined up on the New York City streets of the Flatiron District. 

Among them? Some of the team from The Protego Foundation!

With as much excitement as queuing up for the Quidditch World Cup or one of the original Harry Potter midnight book releases, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, Gryffindors, and Slytherins all united to explore (and maybe even plunder) the untold depths of magical merch at New York’s very own (and the world’s first) flagship Harry Potter store.

The Protego Foundation was there among the thousands of magical people who passed through the hallowed halls of the store on the very day it opened to the public.

Tylor Starr (Protego’s President and Co-Founder), Victoria Tomis (Blog Writer and Coordinator), Valerie Short (Marketing Director), Ali Matthews (Finance and Development Director), and Danielle Reicherter (Assistant to the President) were on the scene, walking into the store within minutes of its opening. The group arrived at 5:00 am to secure the 26th place in line!

An Impressive Display

The meticulously decorated store more than made good on its lofty promises to be a fully immersive experience. From an elevator designed with the fiery green flames of Floo Powder, to a giant, Parseltongue-speaking snake poised on the ceiling, to wand wood trees inhabited by “branches” of tiny Bowtruckles, there were endless sights to see!

A MinaLima room was decked out with the Hogwarts textbook covers that the graphic-designing duo created for the Harry Potter films as well as a photo-op worthy fireplace featuring one of the most iconic scenes-- when hundreds of Hogwarts letters soared down the Dursleys’ chimney and burst into the sitting room. 

There’s a rectangular room loaded with wall-to-wall wands from all of the major characters in the films and books that even Ollivander would approve of.
 
There were shelves crammed with plushie critters, from clever Crookshanks to the mischief-making Nifflers, and figurines featuring magical creatures as beloved as the watchful three-headed dog, Fluffy, and Harry’s majestic snowy owl companion, Hedwig.

Vegan Butterbeer and Not-So-Vegan Sweets
 
A little nook with shelves crammed full of Honeydukes sweets and bottles of butterbeer — including ones adorned with MinaLima’s MACUSA style art (a Harry Potter New York exclusive item) -- lined the walls. Unfortunately, none of the Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, or the other iconic wizarding world candies were vegan-friendly.
 
Cruelty-Free Cosmetics
 
Witches and wizards who are fans of makeup made a bee (or should we say Glumbumble bee) line to the cosmetics corners. Forget the questionable Wonder Witch products at Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley. All of the cosmetics at the Harry Potter store are cruelty-free (not tested on animals) and vegan!  Lined with shiny bottles of House-inspired nail polish and Luna Lovegood-inspired tubes of color-changing lipstick, these cosmetics are approved by the real life Luna, Evanna Lynch, herself.

Beware of Wool
 
The dazzling delights don’t stop there. Robes, House-themed sweaters, cardigans, scarves, and entire trunks worth of back-to-school ready wardrobes are scattered throughout the store. Displays of tees, sweatshirts, keychains, and other swag exclusive to the New York Harry Potter store are peppered throughout for keen, sharp-eyed magical people to discover.
 
Mind, you’ll need to practice constant vigilance, as Mad-Eye is wont to say, as many of the scarves, gloves, sweaters, and Hogwarts uniforms are made with wool. Simply check the tag of the item you’re interested in to ensure you’ve grabbed the wool-free option.

The Butterbeer Bar
 
The star of the show for many of The Protego Foundation’s team members was the Butterbeer Bar, complete with tankards of butterbeer on draft and a massive wall of cascading, amber-colored butterbeer bottles. Yes, our call for vegan butterbeer was finally answered and met with very sweet success! 
 
Harry Potter New York is the first location in the United States to offer a vegan option for the official fan favorite drink. Normally, the bubbly, butterscotch-flavored brew is topped with a dairy-based foam. 
 
The theme parks are required to serve their butterbeer with the topping, despite any allergies and ethics that would motivate guests to ask for their drinks without it.
 
Harry Potter New York has no such qualms or contracts. It’s as simple as striding up to the shiny brown counter and asking for a butterbeer with no topping! 
 
Served in a collectible and reusable mug featuring art designed specifically for the Harry Potter New York store, magical folks can sip on the beloved wizarding world drink knowing that they’re not contributing to any animal cruelty. 
 
Even better? A vegan brownie is said to soon be joining the other desserts found within the cases full of decadent Potterish treats. 

Here’s what some of the Protego Foundation’s team had to say about their experience at the Harry Potter store in New York. 

The Protego Foundation’s Marketing Director, Valerie, looks back on attending the store’s grand opening fondly. She was especially taken by the aesthetics of the store. 

“The store’s layout was really well-designed, with differently-themed rooms. It was similar to the big Disney store at Disney Springs in Orlando,” says Valerie. “All of the rooms had fun décor, like a large, moving replica of the griffin statue in the center, multiple props from the films, and even an interactive element with the mobile scavenger hunt.”

Of the three-floor store, Valerie says of the merch, “there were plenty of great items at HPNY. I wound up bringing home a sizable bag of merchandise, including a Harry Potter New York hoodie with a gorgeous Hungarian Horntail design, the Hogwarts-inspired wand, some tea towels, postcards, and a number of adorable tote bags.”

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“The Butterbeer Bar was by far my favorite part of the store,” says The Protego Foundation’s Finance and Development Director, Ali. “Having the bottled butterbeer, which can now be purchased online, as well as the butterbeer on tap without the dairy foam, is so great!”

Valerie agrees. “The Butterbeer Bar was the part I was most looking forward to. I used to absolutely love getting butterbeer at the Universal theme parks, so the thought of being reunited with a vegan version of it was incredibly exciting.”

“Ordering butterbeer without the dairy topping was exhilarating. We even saw other people ordering it without the topping after us!” Valerie enthuses. “Plus, it’s the first place that you can get into for free to grab a draft butterbeer, and what could be better than that?”
 
Of the overall experience, Valerie says, “I would definitely recommend visiting the store if you’re in New York. It’s a great place to shop with a few other experiences to enjoy while you’re there.”
 
Ali seconds Valerie’s sentiments, adding, “I can’t wait for the vegan dessert option that the Butterbeer Bar plans to add to their case of baked goods. I’ll definitely be meeting up with friends again for a round of butterbeer on tap once the lines get a bit shorter.”

Have you been fortunate enough to visit Harry Potter New York? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! And stay tuned for an even more in-depth guide to this fantastic store.


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​Written by Victoria Tomis

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