Cartoons inspire cosplay restaurant

by Nicole Weston, Posted Dec 18th 2006 @ 3:31PM

The only cartoon-themed restaurants that I've eaten at have been at theme parks and the only memorable one was Marvel Mania at Universal Studios, Hollywood. It has since closed down (probably because the food wasn't that great), but it was kind of entertaining to have Spidey hanging out at the dinner table. Perhaps drawing inspiration from that one selling point - that it is fun to sit with the characters - from such themed restaurants, a new cartoon-themed restaurant has opened up in Toronto that takes the theme further.

iMaid Cafe is a cosplay restaurant, which basically means that all the staff members are dressed in costumes and play a certain role. In this particular case, that role is of a maid from Japanese anime cartoons. "I call them maids not waitresses," said 24-year old Aaron Wang, the owner of the restaurant who is originally from Beijing. "They smile a lot and they are cute. I want somebody cute like the characters from cartoons -- big eyes, long hair and young."

Feedback from customers over the past few weeks has been nothing but positive, as both men and women come to enjoy the costumes and the atmosphere.

Source

Filed Under: Food Oddities, Chefs & Restaurants, Restaurants
Tags: canada, cosplay, imaid, maid, maids, north america, oddities, restaurant, restaurants, theme, theme restaurant, toronto

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

12-19-2006 @5:10PM John said... Interesting to see the "Otaku" restaurants finally getting overseas. I've read about the ones in Japan and varying level of perversion they have... I've heard they even have themed hair salons among the restaurants.
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12-19-2006 @5:10PM Rashkae said... A chinese restaurant trying to masquerade as a Japanese cafe, and something (several things, maybe) gets lost in the translation. The overpriced costume is the *only* thing setting this place appart. It's small tables, uncomfortable chaires, and blaring hip hop videos on the plasma screen doesn't make for the most relaxed cafe atmosphere. Nothing special or unique about the service either.
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12-19-2006 @10:22PM Gren said... I know where I'm going next time i'm at toronto
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12-19-2006 @10:20PM Dasa Mlechha said... Japanese fashined the big-eyed characters after Europeans. Wang's in Canada, why not just hire "white" girls for the gig? Actually, Persian and Indian/Pakistani girls will do better - you know, big eyes.
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12-19-2006 @10:19PM mari said... i can't believe people would go just for the costumes, and from the looks of the photo, ones that you can easily buy off the net.
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12-20-2006 @7:06PM Craig said... Folks, it's about the costume in the same way that it's about the lingerie. In the end, it's about the server and the suggestion of something more. If you're not into it, you won't go, but there won't be just a few people who are into it...

I wonder if the food is any good?
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12-29-2006 @3:42AM Sexy Cosplay Angel Admirer said... I've experienced the maid cafe at the source in Tokyo and can only hope this idea spreads like wildfire, or spreads like jam. Yeah, that's it. Spreads like jam.
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12-31-2006 @1:22PM kuri said... i want to work in a maid cafe, dressed up in cute maid uniforms > . < i hope maid cafes will start opening up in vancouver or like, richmond (big asian population city)
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