An unofficial Deltarune fan cafe in Toronto has drawn widespread criticism after attendees reported illness linked to its takoyaki, alongside complaints about crowding, merchandise and venue management.
What was planned for the Deltarune cafe?
Toronto event organiser Sugar Packet hosted the unofficial cafe on a Sunday. The paid session cost $15 and gave attendees 50 minutes to try themed food, browse merchandise, use a photo booth and enter a raffle, as outlined on the ticket website.
A free section was also advertised, featuring a larger artist alley and a live playthrough of the newly released Deltarune Chapter 5. That chapter supplied the event’s theme and much of its menu inspiration.
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Takoyaki became the central problem
The most serious complaints concerned takoyaki, the Japanese snack apparently chosen because a vendor sells it during a festival in Chapter 5. Organisers said the food had been stored incorrectly and placed in a cooler to thaw. Some attendees alleged it was later left outside the cooler after the ice ran out.
Multiple cases of suspected food poisoning were reported, with several attendees said to have visited urgent care or hospital. Photographs and first-hand accounts also suggested that the food looked unappealing, while one attendee described the pieces as tasting undercooked.
One attendee said the takoyaki tasted “kinda undercooked” in a post shared on August 12, 2026: pic.twitter.com/Xc3rZV0kRv
There was an unfortunate connection to the game itself. After eating takoyaki in Chapter 5, Susie says it tastes like “raw onion”. That resemblance to the fictional dish is hardly a reassuring detail given the real-world reports.
Overcrowding and venue complaints
Food was not the only source of frustration. Attendees also raised concerns about overcrowding, problems with merchandise pre-orders and prices that allegedly changed unexpectedly.
The cafe was held in a lightly decorated college building rather than a purpose-built themed venue. One attendee shared a photograph showing chalk and pen on the floor, a student chalkboard and a professor’s podium, describing the image as representative of the event’s atmosphere: pic.twitter.com/tseLUjhHfi.
Another post alleged that the kitchen was a canteen or ordinary classroom area in a college office building, and that the event was managed by two club presidents: pic.twitter.com/FBiQrVOEYG.
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Organisers apologise and offer refunds
Several days after the event, Sugar Packet published four separate Instagram apologies. The organisers offered refunds, said they would compensate attendees for takoyaki-related hospital bills and provided information about reporting food-safety violations to the city.
They also announced a 10-month hiatus and asked attendees not to harass volunteers. Two named organisers accepted full responsibility. In a later statement, the group described the cafe as a failure, while the apology post is available on Instagram.
The organisers’ response does not undo the reported harm, but refunds, medical-cost assistance and guidance for raising food-safety concerns are meaningful steps. The priority now is that everyone affected makes a full recovery.
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