🌸 Applications for HaruhiCon 2's Cosplay Café will open closer to the event
Doesn't everyone fancy a bit of tea and cake on a Sunday afternoon? Taking inspiration from the classic Maid Cafés we bring you HaruhiCon's Charity Cosplay Café!
This year's theme is: 🐬🌊 TRUE BLUE 🌊🐬 and your Café Manager will be: Bex
The Charity Cosplay Café runs on Sunday afternoon in Miller's Bar, and you can sign up as a volunteer Maid or Butler to help
raise money for this year's Con Charity! All the details on what our café team do are below, and you'll find details about how to apply at the bottom of the page.
🌸 Café Costumes
Every year the café has a theme and we'd love for you to join in with the spirit of café as a Character Maid or Butler. That can be a main character, a side character, a villain, a humanised/gijinka version of a non-human character, you name it. Simply put them in a maid or butler-esque outfit and you're good to go!
Our request this year is that something of your costume feature BLUE. Be that a blue wig, a blue costume or blue accessories like bows.
If your character has props, we suggest putting them in your room for the duration so you can be hands-free as there's a lot of activity.
You don't have to act in-character but if you want to add in some flare you're more than welcome. We suggest that if your character's demeanour is mean, sarcastic etc. that you ask guests first if they'd like an in-character interaction so that they're not taken by surprise.
As a server you will be handling real food and drink so please be aware that there is a risk you may get some on your costume!
🌸 Duties
You'll be invited to sign up for either one or two 'on-duty' hours. There are two main roles for volunteer Maids or Butlers; serving refreshments to customers and manning the game stations.
Servers
One server will usually cover one/two tables of max 8 seats for the duration of their time. The number of guests at the table may vary during the hour depending on how busy the café is and how groups may want to sit together. If your friends specifically want to be served at your table they can let our doorman know and they'll make it happen (though they may have to wait a moment if your table is full when they get to the front of the queue).
Servers will collect orders from guests and collect the appropriate
tokens for the order. If a guest has a token for tea but wants to order
cake, they'll need to purchase the appropriate token. After collecting tokens, you can fetch their order from the cake and drink table where
one of our Senior Maids/Butlers will be there to plate up for you.
Menus with allergen information will be available at the tables for guests to consult; it's recommended to point out where that info is. Notebooks, pens and trays will be provided, though you're welcome to bring your own if you'd like to.
Water, milks and sweeteners will be available at the tables. As a server you'll need to keep an eye out for anything that needs topping up.
When a guest is finished simply collect their plates, cups etc. and take them to the dishes station. This will be removed by the hotel staff and taken back to the kitchen.
Please do not serve externally procured food or drinks to customers.
As a server you'll be going back and forth from the tables quite a lot, so wear comfortable shoes!
Game Makers
Every year we have a selection of fairground style games for guests to play. They'll need to purchase tokens at the front desk and it's up to you to explain the rules and reset the games after they have been played. There'll be more details on the games closer to the convention.
Whilst it's always appreciated to keep an eye on if any of the
servers need help with their table, the game guardians' main focus is
staying with their games.
🌸 Chekis/Polaroids
A café tradition for guests is getting a print-and-go style photograph taken with their Maid or Butler as a memento of their time at the café.
We have three photo options available for guests to purchase.
Single Cheki: 1 guest, 1 maid/butler
Group Cheki: group of guests + 1 maid/butler
Full Cast Cheki: 1 guest + ALL maids & butlers*
*The Full Cast Cheki will be taken at the end of each hour of the
café and all maids and butlers will be invited to join in.
We'll have a photo station set up with a backdrop to pose against in the conservatory of Millers, maybe even props for guests to hold. Some easy pose suggestions are encouraging the guest to form a heart with their hands while you form a heart with yours. Half a heart each, meeting in the middle. Posing side on with your palms up flat against the palm of the guests. Poses are determined by your comfort level and we'll help you communicate your boundaries.
Photos will be taken by one of our Senior Maids/Butlers and printed right there in the café. Guests are then able to collect their photo and take it back to their table to decorate. They may ask you to sign or mark the Cheki with the pens provided. Our suggestions would be hearts, stars or smiley faces.
If you do not wish to be involved in Chekis, just let us know in the application form.
🌸 How do Applications work?
When applications open, we'll announce the details on our social media and add a link to the application form here. Our Café Organiser will get in touch after applications have closed.
Successful applicants will be added to the Café Discord where you'll have the opportunity to meet each other, ask any questions you might have, discuss outfit ideas and more!
If you wish to switch characters or switch service hours for whatever reason, that'll all be handled there.
The important thing to remember, is it's about having fun and raising money for Charity!
🌸 Applications for HaruhiCon 2's Cosplay Café will open closer to the event