Like, what? Have couches where people sit and read and they can get coffee and stuff?

I suppose, but I don't image it would be too big.

>>5178043
And by work I mean would it be profitable?

It's basically cafe with manga to read, right?
Sure, why not?

>>5178056
Yeah, something like that, I wasn;t thinking it would be big anyway.

You better open a manga store with a cafe.

>>5178043
Thats basically what Barnes and Nobel/Borders does anyway.

There was one in Vancouver (Canada, not America), but it closed down. There was a Korean manhwa cafe too, but I think it closed down as well.

>>5178071
But those stores have other books too. I was wondering if it would work with just manga as the main attraction point.

From what I've seen in various Borders and Barnes & Noble stores in the suburbs, no. Teens will sit and read manga for free, anyway.

>>5178081
I was thinking a cover charge to read, or buy a membership to read without paying cover charge each time, maybe even give you a discount on drinks and stuff.

>>5178080
Doubtful. You might as well try to open up a maid cafe.

Have you picked a location?

It could work but it all depends on LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION.

I suggest Manhattan.

Also you should sell baked goods,tea,coffee and that kind of stuff.

>>5178107
I don't have one in particular, but I was thinking something urban/middle city.

>>5178093
I figured the business model might favor profit from the drinks rather than books... or what? Are we assuming we have a selection of books to read already from the cafe (and that's what you're charging for) or do we invite people to bring their own, or what?

I'm sorry, I must not have the clearest idea in my head about this.

I know of a few that opened up in Toronto where I live. They all shut down eventually. I don't think one of them really lasted more than a few months. For 5.5 million people that's bad.

I know a few that operate on college/university campuses that draw in small crowds but its mostly just for hobby.

Things like these just don't work here, it's not part of the mainstream culture.

>>5178098
I don't think maid cafe would work better than manga cafe
People here are too social awkward

not saying Japan isn't, but they are surrounded by other people who are the same as them

>>5178115
I was thinking something like a manga library, but you either pay for a "library card" or pay a lesser fee at the door in case you accidentally ruin something and so I could stay in business. It would also have some kind of small shop for snacks, drink, general small merchandise maybe.

>>5178175
and cute maid librarians

>>5178250
With bunnysuits. Bunnysuits or bust.

>>5178258
Bunnysuits already have busts!

>>5178273
I know. And that's one of the reasons they're the best things ever.

I kinda like maid outfits better, but I'm not sure if either of those will help bring in money.

I could have them, and cater to a smaller, but more dedicated group, or have regular uniforms, and go for a larger demographic.

>>5178339
Trust me on this, dude. There is nothing more alluring in the world than a good bunnysuit.

See how it even makes Marisa Kirisame, a typically unlikeable Touhou, into something you'd pay more than 10 seconds of attention to.

Wouldn't work.
As a cafe, you're competing with with shit like starbucks.
As a place to read, you'd be competing with shit like Borders or Barns & Noble.

Your chance at success would depend solely on how hot the chicks that work there are.
Now, how many smoking hot chicks can you name are deep into manga and wouldn't find this the least bit dorky and/or demeaning.

As much as I would like to see one, it seems pretty shaky.

>>5178437
Fascinating, negative Nancy.

>>5178458
Ah, as unpleasant as it sounds, he's right to some degree. The bunnysuits will be of no use if we have no decent-looking women to put them in.

I was thinking of using of using factors such as convenience, atmosphere and selection to boost my chances.

>>5178437
What makes you think they have to like manga to work there? As long as he pays, he doesn't even need to know one.

>>5178465
>>5178366
>>5178258
I'm pretty sure bunny suits are a playboy trademark or something. Japan can get away with it, but you'd get sued in America.

>>5178437
A cafe where the waitresses read with you and pretend to laugh at the funny parts...

>>5178484
I know. But I'm still a man who loves his bunnysuits.

A manga cafe?
In america?

No, don't even try.
Much because the reasons >>5178437 listed, but also because... it's a manga cafe in america.
By and large the opinion of manga and anime one generation and up to be nothing but childish cartoons and etc even though they've probably never so much as looked at the stuff.
Sooo... you're not getting any business from them.

This leaves... maybe people as old as their early thirties, and I think I'm being generous here.
Because of the older generations most people into manga and anime tend to keep to themselves.
Naturally a business can't survive on people too embarrassed to even come in.

About all this leaves are hipsters.
Do you really want to cater to a bunch of hipsters?

>>5178494
I figure if I plan it well enough, there won't be that "embarrassment factor" at all. Like naming the place well, creating a good atmosphere, etc. Things of that nature.

>>5178437
>implying the women who work as eye candy in Japanese manga cafes are into manga and don't find the job demeaning or dorky

There's one in my country at a good location (capital, close to all significant stations) and it's doing well. It seems to be pretty popular among total normalfags because the food's good and it isn't crowded.

So yeah, it could work if it's not too obscure and it's in a place where people actually bother going.

Going to Tartarus tonight?

>>5178437
You are underestimating the appeal of moe. With moe girls dressed as anime characters working there, many poor fools would spend way too much of their income just to sit and drink tea while peering over the covers of their carefully neutral yet still weeaboo reading material.

Ideally, I'd open up the 'manga cafe' with a very vague emphasis on manga. You have to create a comfortable atmosphere for reading which mainstream chain corporations likes barnes/borders and starbucks can't reproduce. Having too much of an emphasis on manga will surely scare away consumers who are much more conservative.and attract the underage hipster faggots who will inevitably try to make my cafe another macfag haven. For this reason I'd probably think about implementing a wifi-only room, where you'd be permitted to use your portable device there but not anywhere else in the store.

Having good maidos running around servicing people is sadly something which will be difficult to adapt. American women are bathed in this feminist superiority bullshit and will think that dressing up will be demeaning in some sort of way, completely ignoring the fact that this could be something you could do for fun. At most what I could hope for is to employ both male and female workers and have them dress up in relatively mild outfits that will occasionally change themes.

The big issue is that those large chain corporations have no problems drastically lowering their prices near the area of my store to run me out of business. It's been done before by chain stores, and will be done in the future. It's one reason out of many why traditional mom and pop stores are so scarce.

I'm going to cooking school this year, hire me!

Nope. Unfortunately.

>>5178512
>P4
>Tartarus

>>5178554
I've been thinking about these things since I came up with the idea, and I understand the difficulties of opening up a new, unheard of business. It obviously won't be named something like "mangaX" or try to make manga sound "superawesome", but make the atmosphere enjoyable, someplace people will enjoy staying and reading, and will be inviting to new customers. However I need to make it's nature apparent from the outside so that potential customers who already enjoy manga will know what it is.

Make it manga/comics and bring in a larger clientele. Problem solved, if you don't mind smelly hambeasts everywhere.

>>5178585
Hmm, coming up with a name would be difficult, you'd want it to be something people can easily pronounce, and maybe something catchy. Manga by itself is a word a lot of western people often mispronounce to begin with.

>>5178602
I suppose that wold work, but I'd have to make two distinct areas, with the store and entrance in between lest one group start to predominate the store or something similar.

>>5178618
Yeah, the name is one of the areas I'm having the most trouble with, any suggestions would be appreciated.

>>5178585
Try some simple Japanese word.
This is gonna get the attention of the weeaboos and will not drive away the rest.

>>5178625
You could just get involved with the customers and get them to look at both forms of literature.

>>5178494
>I think I'm being generous here.
For 2000 maybe. It's definitely to the mid thirties at least for people who grew up watching anime. 1990 is 20 years ago, 1980 is 30 years ago. There was stuff like voltron and robotech they had to at least be old enough to remember watchign it.

>>5178629
JAPAN TIME

You'll get tons of dirty slobs handling the books. No one else will want to read it.

>>5178646
hahano

>>5178646
I chuckled.

>>5178652
That's part of what the cover charge is for, so I can replace books if need be.

What if I called it toshokan?

>>5178043
Yeah I see it working. You pay a monthly fee to be a member and you get free access to the entire library of manga and anime. The cafe would be split into two parts, sound proof booths with flat screen TV's to watch anime and a cafe style manga lounge.

Standard membership would have you paying a monthly fee for access to manga and a standard two person anime watching booth.

Premium fee would have you paying for a higher monthly fee than standard for a access to manga and a deluxe family anime watching booth with HD flat screens and Blu-ray.

If me and OP had enough capital I would have jumped on it. OP delete your thread so nobody steals the idea.

>>5178554
>Having good maidos running around servicing people is sadly something which will be difficult to adapt. American women are bathed in this feminist superiority bullshit and will think that dressing up will be demeaning in some sort of way, completely ignoring the fact that this could be something you could do for fun.
Hooters have managed to have busty blonds in cleavage showing tight shirts and short shorts. I think we could sell a french meido costume and hire only deliciously flat chested ladies.

Also if we open it up to comics and graphic novels in general we can appeal to a greater market.

>>5178703
I don't want anything like that, sounds too much like a weeaboo chucky cheese.

Just a nice relaxing atmosphere and a wide range of manga to choose from.

Include graphic novels in the mix

For the most part, the groups tend to get along with each other

>>5178671
Tosho-café ?
You known, like how japs like to mix up two words to make one.

eh, if you opened one up, I'd be there OP

Alright, so I've decided to add in graphic novels/comics, although I'm not really big into comics, one of my friends is and he could probably help me out with the selection.

>>5178744
Sounds good to me.

>>5178728
I was thinking more of an exclusive club. But yeah it turning into weeaboo chucky cheese could be a problem

>>5178720
>Hooters
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2010/05/18/dnt.hooters.employee.uniform.wdiv

see vid

>>5178043 ---> >>5177922

>>5178618

The Mango hut.

So how does Atlanta sound as a location? My girlfriend staffs a couple big conventions there so I know there is a good sized fanbase in the area, and the total population is large enough to draw in new customers.

>>5178805
I'll think about the suggestions made in that thread.

>>5178792
>Breaking News
Oh CNN.

Maid outfits could be off putting for people who don't know much about japan's subculture, especially for women.
What you could do would be to have them dress normally with some sort of accessories (Haruri's headband, Miku's arm thing, colored wigs, etc).

>>5179006
What if all of the maids are actually 14-17 year old boys?

I've all but completely tossed out the maid outfit idea, maybe possibly as a behind the counter uniform, but that's it.

>>5179028
Go with just the maid headband. It's the best part anyway. Incorporate it and a couple gothic lolita themes into the uniform.

>>5178618
Dôzo,
Manga Café

Do you plan to let people access freely to the books?
If you're going for the relaxed, comfortable atmosphere, bookcases and shelves would be nice but it'll be hard to keep track of stuff and make sure nobody steals from the shop.
On the other hand, as a customer, having to ask for books would be a pain, and it implies that people already know what they want to read.

>Skimming through random threads
>stop, double take
>re-read
>angry reply

>>5178366
>Marisa Kirisame, a typically unlikeable Touhou
Go choke on a master spark.

.>>5179080
Yeah, bookshelves along the walls, and a few freestanding bookshelves as well. For security just put a few oscillating camera bubbles in the corners and do inventory every night at closing, I don't see it being too difficult.

Portland, sanfran or hawaii maybe. Boston, no. You'd have bums hanging out in there constantly and then the police would show up randomly shouting about how you're "fucking stupid," grilling you on what illegal drugs you're addicted to (apropos of fucking nothing), and insist on detonating your store as a possible bomb.

>>5179120
Would bums really pay the cover charge just to hang out in the store?

>>5179172
no, they wouldn't pay anything, nor would they necessarily put anything back or follow any other rules

cover charge or no, even if you plan on yourself and some bimbo being there to run the place you'd need to hire private security, and every day explain to the unemployable retard they send you what you want him to do

and then hope he does it

oh and the cops WILL show up at some point and terrorize everybody and blow your shop up for supposedly being a "dirty bomb" full of crack cocaine and dead babies or some shit

Avoid Boston. Some parts of the west coast might be better

>>5178366

I'm lookin' more at dat Alice.

>>5178366
>Marisa Kirisame, a typically unlikeable Touhou

>>5179213
u sad?

Well, I'm really liking your idea OP.
Best of luck.

>>5178554
I'm assuming the idea is this. Planning on opening a "normal" cafe with a high selection of graphic novels to read, but the books are only accessible to people who bought that "exclusive card".

Benefits of the card:
-discount on food/beverage
-accessible to graphic novels

This would probably work
Solely a manga cafe will fail for sure.

But telling the targets that it's a normal cafe, but "different" from the rest would work. Make sure you put a big poster on the window telling people about the graphic novel collection and the card though.

And you would probably want to ask /co/ about comic selection too, one person's (your friend's) taste won't tell you much.

It would probably work in LA, but that's about it.

That sounds like the gayest shit ever.

Open up a Maid Cafe and then we'll talk some business, my friend.