“We waited in line for an hour”: Inside Toronto’s Poop Cafe

Poop Café opened in Koreatown last Saturday, and its customers so far have found the concept nothing but cute—from the toilet seats to urinal-shaped water glasses. The city’s first “toilet-themed dessert bar” serves traditional Asian desserts, like patbingsu, a treat made with shaved ice and red beans, (which is so popular it was sold out during our visit), some served in literal toilet bowls. “In Asia, a bird pooping on you is a sign of good luck,” says owner Lien Nguyen, who came up with the idea after eating at a similar spot in Taiwan. “Poop can be a good thing!”

Juhi Chikhlia

20, student
Order: Oreo Thai ice cream roll, topped with Oreos. $6.50

“I came mainly just so I could show off to my friends on Instagram that I ate ice cream out of a toilet bowl. I don’t think we have anything like this in England, where I’m from. I thought the texture of the ice cream would be different because it’s rolled up, but it tastes just like normal Oreo ice cream—except I’m eating it while sitting on a toilet seat.”    

Palak Hotchandani

18, student
Order: Strawberry Thai ice cream roll. $6.50.

“I lined up with my friends today because we had nothing to do. It reminds me of a racoon café in Korea—yes, there are actual racoons running around.”    

Katherine Azucena

24, student
Order: Hong Kong–style egg waffle with green tea ice cream. $8.50.

“It’s a cute concept. I like how everything on the walls is hand-drawn and how the poop emoji is all over the café. The desserts looked really good online, so I dragged my friend here—we waited in line for an hour.”    

Michelle Caturza

19, student
Order: Avocado Thai ice cream roll, topped with Reese cups. $6.50.

“I don’t think I could drink out of the urinal-shaped glass if it was filled with orange juice instead of water. I want to come back here again to try the bingsu.”    

Marvic Catbagan

19, student
Order: Hong Kong–style waffle with chocolate ice cream and marshmallows. $8.50.

“The idea of eating out of a toilet-shaped dish only makes me more attracted to the café—it’s a really cool idea. Even the washroom walls are decorated with poop [Editor’s note: not real poop]. I was surprised to see a line out the door.”    

Maria Gomez

19, student
Order: Hong Kong–style waffle with green tea ice cream. $8.50.

“I think this concept only works with desserts because people always have an appetite for them—they’re always appealing. If you put an entrée into a toilet-shaped dish, it would look like vomit. We waited for at least 30 minutes to get a table.”    

Katrina Baluyot

25, store clerk
Order: Matcha milkshake. $9.50.

“It’s sort of a contradiction: poop is supposed to be a negative thing, and now it’s the theme of a café. When you hear the name, it makes you wonder what kind of desserts the place serves.”    

Lja Bolongaita

21, Student
Order: Cotton-candy milkshake. $9.50.

“I saw the Facebook event for the opening over the weekend but I was waiting for my friends, so we could all come eat out of toilets together. We expected funny names on the menu, like ‘diarrhea shake’ and ‘shit tea.’ I wish they had padding on these toilet seats—it’s a smart idea, but not very comfortable. The last thing I’m going to do before bed is post pics from Poop Café on Instagram!"    

706 Bloor St. W., poopcafe.ca