- Title: PHILIPPINES: First "cosplay" maid cafe opened
- Date: 6th February 2011
- Summary: FAMILY ENJOYING CAFÉ FOOD SPAGHETTI BEING SERVED
- Embargoed: 21st February 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Philippines, Philippines
- Country: Philippines
- Topics: Entertainment,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA5XQ77YN3LTHLH0SYEKUSE58GF
- Story Text: A Japanese cultural phenomenon has arrived in the Philippines.
The country's first "cosplay" (costume play) maid cafe opened its doors recently in capital Manila, hoping to attract customers.
While maid cafes, a subset of cosplay restaurants, have been around Japan for over a decade, it is a relatively new concept in the Philippines.
In this cafe, named Meidolls, waitresses dress up as anime-inspired French maids, complete with wigs with long tresses, dresses and pinafores. Some even wear cat or rabbit ears with their outfits.
The waitresses treat their patrons as masters and mistresses and act as servants in a private home, rather than a waitress in a cafe.
Meidolls maid cafe owner Reia Ayunan says the Filipinos are naturally passionate and hospitable to their guests, and this makes a perfect combination for the type of service required in a maid cafe.
"I guess that's what we all want once in a while after a busy day of work or busy day at school. You wanna just, you know, just lay back and be served by your own servants," said Ayunan.
Maid cafe waitresses, unlike in a normal cafe, are required to engage with their patrons, making sure they feel at home and pampered.
"We're trying to take it one step higher than the Filipino hospitality," says Arianne Gonzaga, one of the café attendants.
Ayunan's cafe has been well received so far by her customers, although some have never been to a maid cafe before.
"The servers are courteous, they're all pretty and nice to talk to," said first-time customer Wow Nabong, who had never heard of a cosplay cafe before coming here or even watched a Japanese anime.
Cosplay maid cafes thrive on pretty and cute waitresses to attract customers, but at times, customers may show too keen an interest. To avoid problems there are strict rules of conduct in the cafe.
Customers are not allowed to ask for personal information from the waitresses and neither are they allowed to stalk any of the staff. A video played within the cafe states these rules.
Ocassionally, the staff entertain the patrons by singing Japanese songs and dancing with them.
"For me, it's fun because we're always in costume and everyday is a cosplay day," said Sarah Guevara, a waitress working at Meidolls.
Cafe owner Ayunan said the cafe was set up with the help of the Filipino cosplay community, and it is a place for anime and cosplay enthusiasts to gather.
The number of cosplay enthusiasts has been growing in the Philippines with over 10,000 Filipinos participating in such conventions held around the country.
Maid cafes were usually set up during these anime conventions on a temporary basis, but now, there is one to serve customers all year round. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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