Mama Business
ママ業 · mama-gyou
Also known as: mama-gyou
The job of running a snack bar or club as its mama; a word used mostly on the trade side.
Mama-gyo is the work of being a mama: serving at the counter, buying in the drinks, managing the cast where there is one, building relationships with regulars and keeping the books. It appears in talk about running a venue, as in taking over the mama business or having done it for ten years.
Guests hardly ever use the word. If you see it in a venue description or review, read it as a sign of a small venue with the mama at its centre.
When you'll encounter this
You meet it in articles about snack bars, interviews with mamas, and notices seeking a successor.
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