We had the good fortune of connecting with Eri Ko and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eri, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I absolutely adore Maid Cafes! I initially got my start working in New York City’s very first Maid Cafe under the management of a Japanese idol and her Manager. Working there was so much fun and I loved the interaction between guests from the food to the performances and games. It brought a certain type of excitement I had yet to experience and I wanted to recreate that feeling for everyone!

For those who aren’t familiar, a Maid Cafe is a type of cosplay restaurant in which the staff dresses as maids and the patrons are treated as royalty. The Maids welcome each guest and play tabletop games with them as well as have live performances. The aesthetic is centered around Akihabara, which is Japan’s Anime district. It is a family-friendly place to enjoy food and fun! Milk Pink Maid Cafe specializes specifically in desserts.

What should our readers know about your business?
Milk Pink Maid Cafe is New Jersey’s premier event cafe! We strive for the authenticity and flare of Maid Cafes in Japan. Our focus is on everything cute, sweet, and pink! From our soft pink uniforms to the adorable desserts and even energetic greetings, my goal is to recreate the excitement I first had walking into one. I really work to see everything from the perspective of my guests and aim to make their time at Milk Pink something they’ve never experienced before!

Creating the cafe was a lot easier said than done. I don’t think most realize how much planning goes into every aspect of the Maid Cafe. It took months of planning just to create the logo and deciding on a uniform that would make every maid feel beautiful took even longer! I mainly sat down with a sketchbook and wrote out every goal I had and the steps I need to take to accomplish them. When I get an idea I make sure to write it down straight away and begin planning out every detail of making that a reality. It sometimes gets stressful but when everything comes together and I see the happiness of my guests it makes every second worth it!

I always try to think along the lines of how can I do that vs I can’t do that. Anything is possible if you look at it with an extremely open but also realistic mind! I personally test out every menu item as well as interaction so if it isn’t something I or my friends would enjoy I take a different approach to it. I often observe the guests’ and maids’ reactions to something as well and take feedback from them to improve all future events! Who better to ask than everyone there!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I really love karaoke so we would definitely be hitting up a lot of spots. Duet48 and Japas NY are some of my long-time favorite spots in NYC. Over the years I’ve come to become friends with the staff. In Jersey, I really love Assa Karaoke. One of their rooms even has a drum set!

For food, we’d go to eat Korean BBQ. Galbi is one of my favorite cuts and SGD Tofu & BBQ makes some of the tastiest! They have outdoor seating in the summer with a gorgeous view of the Hudson River!

I like to relax in my free time so King Spa is definitely the place to be. I enjoy the quietness of the saunas as well as lying down on the heated floors and doing absolutely nothing.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I definitely need to shout out Reni Mimura for giving me my start. If not for Reni I would have not been immersed in the Maid Cafe world. Reni has always been there for me and taught me the ins and outs of working in a Maid Cafe as well as the expectations. She always gave her input from both the perspective of a maid and guest and has taught me to view everything in the same way. I will forever be thankful that I met Reni!

Website: milkpinkmaidcafe.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milkpinkmaidcafe/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MilkPinkMaidCafe

Other: Email: milkpinkmaidcafe@gmail.com

Image Credits
Milk Pink LLC

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