http://www.todayonline.com/articles/146963.asp
Mira Kashinath
[email protected]
FANS of Japanese cosplay or costume play may soon get to dine at
what is believed to be the first "maid" cafe here next month.
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Patrons at "Cosafe" (a play on the words "cosplay" and "cafe") can
expect to be served in a relaxing garden atmosphere by girls in
Victorian maid attire, in full anime make-up — complete with
exaggerated rose-bud lips as well as accessories such as cat's ears
and lacy headdresses. The usual greeting favoured at Japanese
eateries will be done away with and replaced with "Okaeri Nasai" —
which means "Welcome home, Master".
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Based on the 1980s anime theme made popular in Japan, the
brainchild comes from students Julia Laurant, 21, and Ferlyn Tan,
16. The inspiration for the cosplay cafe — which will be located at
the basement of Far East Shopping Centre — came when the girls were
in Nagoya for the recent World Cosplay Summit.
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Noting the popularity of Victorian-attired maids and "maid" cafes
in Japan, the youth saw the business opportunity in
Singapore.
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The students enlisted the help of maid cafe owners in Nagoya and
Tokyo, who willingly shared their knowledge of running such cafes,
as well as recipes for Japanese baked potato and curry rice, which
Ms Laurant promised to be "closer to the real deal".
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"We realised that a cosplay themed restaurant will help raise the
profile of Japanese anime in Singapore, as well as the cosplay
industry," said Ms Laurant, who is taking a fashion design course
in Temasek Poly.
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The entrepreneurs expect the cafe — which will focus on
non-alcoholic beverages — to be popular with students and adults in
their late 20s and early 30s. Prices are expected to be kept in the
mid-range tier.
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The cafe will expand its services to include catering and a "Date
with a Maid" feature, where patrons will have a maid dedicated to
their service for the evening. This element is expected to be
popular with those who want to treat their friends to a different
experience, say, for their birthdays.
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The bulk of the $80,000 that went towards setting up the cafe came
from the parents of Ms Tan, a student from Tanglin Secondary
School, although some friends chipped in too.
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According to Ms Laurent, the cafe will introduce the Japanese
quality of service here, as the "maids" are required to be
proficient in English, Chinese and Japanese as well as be sociable.
Rather than the run-of-the-mill café culture, Cosafe will also
deliver a different experience, promised Ms Laurant.
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"In addition to the Victorian theme of pink, white and even black,
we will be including a corner dedicated to the gothic fans out
there," she added. "I am considering dragging my piano in to add to
the gothic experience."
woot
