This Isn’t Just a Phase, It’s a Maid Lifestyle

My love for maids and maid cafés transcends anything you could possibly comprehend.

If you’ve never heard of a maid café before, here’s the gist: it’s a themed restaurant where the servers are dressed up as maids (or butlers), and the menu often features specialty food, drinks, and musical performances. Some cafés go a step further with unique concepts, like magical isekai schools, android maids, or aspiring idols. Usually, there's an entrance fee, a one-order minimum, and a time limit for your stay. Think cosplay, customer service, and wack energy all wrapped into one.

But enough about the basics. I want to talk about my experience, because this isn’t just a hobby to me. This is a LIFESTYLE.

When I was a microscopic 13-year-old, I watched Kaichou wa Maid-sama and immediately knew I wanted to live out my full-blown weeb fantasy of becoming a maid. There was something so mesmerising about it all: adorable girls in frilly, elegant uniforms speaking politely, serving cute food, and exuding a kind of charm that felt otherworldly. I crazed over maid café videos online like it was keeping me alive. Then, at 14, I visited Japan and went to Maidreamin for the first time. That experience only made the obsession worse.

Growing up in a small town where the most exciting event was a neighbor buying a new horse, my love for maid cafés became my own little universe. I held onto that dream, counting the LONG years until I could finally join one myself.

At 19, I submitted my application to work at the Animaga Maid Café and then proceeded to sit in my room twiddling my thumbs in anxious anticipation. When I finally got the acceptance email, I nearly threw up from excitement and immediately showed my parents (they were confused but always supportive!).

From there, I attended about four monthly training sessions where we learned everything from Japanese greetings and café lingo to how to craft our maid personas (“maid-sonas”), interact with guests, and stay safe at the con. These training days were both ANXIETY-FILLING and THE BEST, especially for someone like me with very known and very intense anxiety. But weirdly enough, being a maid helped pull me out of my shell. I talked to people. I danced. I made memories.

And thus, Maid Mimi was born: a bunny-eared arsonist who loved baking, dancing, and setting things on fire for her beloved masters.

Last year marked my third year working at the café, and I still can’t get enough. Animaga introduced me to incredible friends who understand my niche interests, and I know I’ll keep them for life. Our head maid and butler, Koko and Kiru, were supportive and kind but also knew how to push us to be our best.

I love maid cafés for the same reasons I fell in love with them as a kid: I get to make people smile (or squirm, depending on why you came), wear ridiculously cute outfits, and unapologetically indulge in silliness with others who are just as weirdly passionate as I am. I’m taking a break this year to focus on other things, but let’s be real—I’ll be back. I can never stay away from my obsessions for long.

Written by Bella Mavridis