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NEWS: Detroit's Maid Cafe 'Chou Anime' Closes Its Doors


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Saturn



Joined: 08 Aug 2002
Posts: 513
PostPosted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 9:53 pm Reply with quote
octopodpie wrote:
tuxedocat wrote:

If anything would work there, it would be a Butler Cafe thst served elegant English high tea. Seriously, the customer ratio is about 80/20 in favor of women.


You might be on to something there. I know my mother and I would go to a place like that if they served coffee.


yeah, especially if it was located in a place with a lot of lolitas. I think that lolitas were frequent visitors to Royal T too also actually
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Aethix



Joined: 06 Oct 2011
Posts: 36
PostPosted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 9:56 pm Reply with quote
TnKtRk wrote:
is anyone really surprised it closed?
There just isn't enough otaku/anime-niacs/whatever to sustain such a place all year long. Your everyday joe/jane would rather go a Hooters/Twin Peaks/Tilted Kilts or any of the other "breastaraunts" that are popping all over the U.S.


My thoughts exactly. It doesn't help that interest in oversized breasts is considered more socially acceptable than interest in girls wearing maid uniforms (which also seems to be overgeneralized as a fetish, even though that is not necessarily the case) for some incomprehensible reason.
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SlamJamBarkley



Joined: 14 Oct 2012
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 10:55 pm Reply with quote
who thought it was a good idea to dress up a bunch of black people in maid costumes and have them call people master
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Anymouse



Joined: 18 May 2007
Posts: 685
PostPosted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 11:00 pm Reply with quote
Aethix wrote:
TnKtRk wrote:
is anyone really surprised it closed?
There just isn't enough otaku/anime-niacs/whatever to sustain such a place all year long. Your everyday joe/jane would rather go a Hooters/Twin Peaks/Tilted Kilts or any of the other "breastaraunts" that are popping all over the U.S.


My thoughts exactly. It doesn't help that interest in oversized breasts is considered more socially acceptable than interest in girls wearing maid uniforms (which also seems to be overgeneralized as a fetish, even though that is not necessarily the case) for some incomprehensible reason.
Maybe somebody should set up a "girl next door" themed cafe? Shorts, tank tops, talking to you like you are well known?

It might come out pretty lame, but then again this whole idea is kind of lame to begin with.
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PurpleWarrior13



Joined: 05 Sep 2009
Posts: 2024
PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 1:22 am Reply with quote
It's a shame it closed, but part of the fun of a Maid Cafe (from what I've seen) is that it's very "Japanese". If it lacks that aspect, it's not gonna work. From the looks of this establishment, it probably came out as more bizarre than anything.
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walw6pK4Alo



Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 9322
PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 1:31 am Reply with quote
PurpleWarrior13 wrote:
It's a shame it closed, but part of the fun of a Maid Cafe (from what I've seen) is that it's very "Japanese". If it lacks that aspect, it's not gonna work. From the looks of this establishment, it probably came out as more bizarre than anything.


There is that, and it's Detroit, the perennially downtrodden and depressed city. Not the best place to debut a gimmicky business with extremely limited clientele.
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bleuster



Joined: 22 Sep 2005
Posts: 455
Location: Orange County
PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 1:46 am Reply with quote
Considering most people just want to relax when they eat out, but then having a host be there with you is something most Americans aren't familiar with.

I commend them for giving it a shot, but if they're going this route, I like Anymouse's idea. Instead of just girls, have bros there who like anime too. I still can't find an anime club in my area ;~;
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Sunday Silence



Joined: 22 Jun 2010
Posts: 2047
PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 2:03 am Reply with quote
SlamJamBarkley wrote:
who thought it was a good idea to dress up a bunch of black people in maid costumes and have them call people master


Resisting.......the urge......to play.......race card.....
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tuxedocat



Joined: 14 Dec 2009
Posts: 2183
PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 3:15 am Reply with quote
Saturn wrote:
octopodpie wrote:
tuxedocat wrote:

If anything would work there, it would be a Butler Cafe thst served elegant English high tea. Seriously, the customer ratio is about 80/20 in favor of women.


You might be on to something there. I know my mother and I would go to a place like that if they served coffee.


yeah, especially if it was located in a place with a lot of lolitas. I think that lolitas were frequent visitors to Royal T too also actually


Problem is, not many of those lolitas have money for fine dining. They spend the money they have on clothes.

My brother considered doing this, since he is always stalked every time he goes into Japantown. One girl who worked up the courage to ask him if he was cosplaying Takashiro Giou (he wasn't of course- he just looks like him), said she would definitely visit a place like that, but would only be able to spend under $10.00, since she blew most of her money at Baby, the Stars Shine Bright.

Despite all the women there, the numbers just don't crunch in the profit direction. Even the manga cafe that was there for a while went bust. Seems like the anime crowd visiting Japantown are populated by kids on daddy's dime. Not enough disposable income. The women love looking at bishie men, but I'm not sure they really want to spend their money on them. Too poor, or too practical.
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BriAnime



Joined: 22 Sep 2008
Posts: 2
PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 3:23 am Reply with quote
This would have been more successful as a pop-up restaurant during cons. The concentration of otaku's and patrons with interest in this type interaction are far greater in Japan. The success rate is higher in Japan because of three institutions that already exist in Japan. The maid cafe can be seen as an extension of those institutions in Japan, the Girls Bars, Hostess Clubs and the geisha. All serve the same function as the maid cafe, to entertain the customer. Maybe if they had done a little more homework. Restaurants and cafes are not an easy business to run. Niche market business' are even harder.
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penguintruth



Joined: 08 Dec 2004
Posts: 8458
Location: Penguinopolis
PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 3:36 am Reply with quote
PrettyKitty20034 wrote:
Really? Do we really need to criticize the appearance of the waitresses in the photo? SMH Keep it classy ANN forumites.


Normally it would be rude to do so. However, a maid cafe relies largely on the attractiveness of the maids. It's part of the service, having alluring maids serve you, not frumpy, homely ones.

Personally, maids don't do anything for me. Especially in a cafe setting, where you're already getting a waitress. Dressing them up in maid outfits doesn't make them maids, it makes them waitresses dressed as maids. If one of them really wants to be a maid, I've got some dust in my room that needs clearing out.

Anyway, Detroit is a war zone, they should open up a firing range cafe.
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Djshinnosuke



Joined: 15 May 2006
Posts: 14
Location: Mexico
PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 7:05 am Reply with quote
tuxedocat wrote:


Problem is, not many of those lolitas have money for fine dining. They spend the money they have on clothes.

My brother considered doing this, since he is always stalked every time he goes into Japantown. One girl who worked up the courage to ask him if he was cosplaying Takashiro Giou (he wasn't of course- he just looks like him), said she would definitely visit a place like that, but would only be able to spend under $10.00, since she blew most of her money at Baby, the Stars Shine Bright.

Despite all the women there, the numbers just don't crunch in the profit direction. Even the manga cafe that was there for a while went bust. Seems like the anime crowd visiting Japantown are populated by kids on daddy's dime. Not enough disposable income. The women love looking at bishie men, but I'm not sure they really want to spend their money on them. Too poor, or too practical.


Sir, you have won the internet with the right comment: many anime aficionados are penny less.
This is a world wide fact, and more in the western culture, excluding Japan, i can safety say: You can not get rich with the Anime Fans.
Any person that can tell me i am wrong, can send me his/her Forbes Richest otaku list to my email. i will be waiting
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noobiesnack



Joined: 29 Sep 2009
Posts: 34
PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 7:32 am Reply with quote
BriAnime wrote:
This would have been more successful as a pop-up restaurant during cons. The concentration of otaku's and patrons with interest in this type interaction are far greater in Japan. The success rate is higher in Japan because of three institutions that already exist in Japan. The maid cafe can be seen as an extension of those institutions in Japan, the Girls Bars, Hostess Clubs and the geisha. All serve the same function as the maid cafe, to entertain the customer. Maybe if they had done a little more homework. Restaurants and cafes are not an easy business to run. Niche market business' are even harder.


Youmacon has a maid cafe during the con and I hear its a success.

And yeah, downtown detroit is a terrible place... I would have gone if it wasnt in that area... If they were going to do it in Michigan, they should have chosen an area around the big colleges in and around Dearborn. At least they would have probably grabbed better local attention from the college students who are more likely to have some interest than the people downtown who are struggling with all their wonderful stuff.
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LordByron227



Joined: 12 Feb 2011
Posts: 158
PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 1:03 pm Reply with quote
eurotrip1986 wrote:
GTO Neko wrote:
One thing of note (I hate to say) is also, it's location. Thankfully, with the anime con Youmacon, that's one thing that's still going strong for Detroit with the anime community; but to have a maid cafe, especially with a city that's still rough and trying to come up from a rough city economy, it was bound to happen.


If it was in a city like New York, Los Angeles, or even Orlando, it can fare better.


You shouldn't "hate to say" facts, and that is detroit is bad lol. Still trying to come up, and rough economy? Detroit has been a horrendously bad place since the late 80s/early 90s. Then again not many people can probably remember when Detroit use to be one of the most important city's in the USA.

A maid cafe in NYC (not the bronx or queens obviously lol), but the real nice/upscale areas would work. Other places would be Phoenix AZ, Salt Lake city UT, and Manchester NH. It definitely wouldn't succeed in Los Angeles lol. LA and most California city's are in defaults money wise. San Francisco would be the best city in CA for one.


Hey...I live in Queens....whats yo problem with Queens huh. Wanna start something. Razz /jk
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Clyde_Cash



Joined: 03 Dec 2011
Posts: 376
PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 5:00 pm Reply with quote
firedragon54738 wrote:
Well that a shame it seems the maid cafe just don't work in the US


The owners should have just made it a host club. All the women and booze you can handle? I'm sure it'd work, even in an economically depressed city like Detroit. What else are they going to rely on over there? Canadians who drive up north from Windsor a.k.a. Detroit Jr. to score new electronics before they're released in America's hat? Slavish devotion to local sports teams?
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