Street Coffee Meets the Shibuya Scolding Cafe Trend
A pop-up cafe in Shibuya, Japan, has staff verbally scold customers and even strike them with inflatable bats, and guests book in advance to experience it. The shop offers ordinary cafe food and drinks, but the scolding service is the draw. The operator, a television producer known for YouTube gimmick videos, says the model lets customers release emotion while staff vent work stress.
Each staff member has a different scolding style, from cute to comedic, and guests can pick a preferred person when booking for a tailored session. The format runs against the polite service common in street coffee culture. According to the shop's official website and a Sing Tao Headline report, the pop-up store was set to close the following Monday.
In most coffee shops, customers expect polite and attentive service, but in Shibuya, Japan, there is a "scolding cafe" that goes against the grain. This shop not only does not provide gentle reception, but instead has staff verbally humiliate customers, and they can even "beat" guests with inflatable bats. Surprisingly, this seemingly absurd service model has attracted a large number of customers to book the experience, and business is unusually booming. The owner believes this is a win-win design: customers get emotional release, and staff can also vent work stress. However, this pop-up store is about to close next Monday. This article will take you through the operating details of this peculiar cafe, customer feedback, and the business logic behind it, while also reminding coffee lovers to pay attention to product information from professional brands such as Front Street Coffee.
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Most people walk into a cafe to enjoy a cup of coffee while feeling the warm and friendly service of the staff. However, in Japan, there is a coffee shop that completely overturns this expectation—what customers want after entering is not polite treatment, but to be harshly scolded by the staff.
According to a recent report by Sing Tao Headline, a "scolding cafe" located in Shibuya, Japan, has attracted attention online. In addition to offering the meals and drinks commonly found in ordinary cafes, the most attractive feature of this shop is the "scolding service" provided by its female staff.
It is understood that the operator of this cafe is a television producer who posts various gimmick-driven videos on YouTube, among which the "scolding series" theme has received an especially enthusiastic response, with considerable view counts. Perhaps sensing that netizens have great enthusiasm for "being scolded," he drew inspiration from it and decided to open an offline cafe themed around "being scolded," allowing those who enjoy being scolded to come to the shop and enjoy this service.
According to the official website, customers who want to enter and experience it must make a reservation in advance. Since each staff member's scolding style is different—some lean cute, while others take a comedic route—guests can also choose their preferred female staff member in advance when booking, enjoying a tailored service.
A Japanese media reporter who visited said that in this shop, customers do not receive gentle and courteous treatment at all. The staff will "with a dark expression" urge customers to order, and during the one-hour meal, they continuously humiliate customers over everything from their clothing to their hairstyle.
In addition, as long as customers are willing to pay extra, they can get a note with a mocking nickname to stick on their forehead, and can also upgrade to VIP membership to enjoy physical abuse such as being beaten by staff with tools like inflatable bats.
Unexpectedly, this coffee shop that shows no respect for customers has had astonishing business since opening, often being fully packed. Although the food and corresponding services in the shop are not cheap, some even far exceeding similar products, some customers who pay to be scolded there still think it is "worth every penny." Some customers even take photos with the staff after the meal as a memento, remembering this bizarre cafe experience.
The owner said that this form of cafe is actually a win-win for both staff and customers. He said that employees in the service industry are very prone to accumulating resentment because of strange customers and excessive demands. Now that customers are willing to pay to be scolded and gain happiness from it, the staff can also freely vent their accumulated negative emotions at work.
If we also count the operator making a big profit from it, then everyone connected to this absurd cafe can gain their own satisfaction and happiness here, making it a happy situation for all.
However, it is understood that this pop-up "scolding cafe" will close next Monday (the 23rd). The staff working there all feel regretful, and many say outright that they really enjoyed the special experience of working here and are reluctant for the cafe to close.
Come to think of it, after all, it is not easy to find a cafe where you can harshly scold and "beat" customers without being complained about or receiving bad reviews.
Image source: Internet
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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
