Rachel debut in the pilot episode of Friends as a runaway bride who is distraught after abandoning her fiancé Barry Farber ( Mitchell Whitfield ) at the altar . She locate her high school best friend Monica Geller ( Courteney Cox ) , the only person she know in New York City , who agree to let Rachel reside with her while she attempt to reorganize her life . Rachel meet and befriend Monica ’ s friends Phoebe Buffay ( Lisa Kudrow ) , Joey Tribbiani ( Matt LeBlanc ) , and Chandler Bing ( Matthew Perry ) , while reuniting with Monica 's older brother Ross Geller ( David Schwimmer ) , who have harbored unrequited romantic feelings for her since high school . Having previously relied on her parents ' money her entire life with a sole goal of marrying wealthy , Rachel attempt to reinvent herself as an independent young woman by waitressing at Central Perk , a coffeehouse where her new friends regularly socialize .