Deltarune Fan Cafe in Toronto ends in food poisoning after takoyaki stored improperly

A Deltarune-themed fan event in Toronto went badly wrong over the weekend when improperly stored takoyaki sent multiple attendees to urgent care or the hospital. The unofficial event, organized by a group called Sugar Packet, was inspired by Chapter 5 of Toby Fox's episodic RPG — which released recently and features a festival vendor selling the same dish.

Tickets for the paid portion cost $15 and promised 50 minutes of themed food, merch, a photo booth, and a raffle. According to the organizers themselves, the takoyaki was stored incorrectly — left in a cooler to thaw and, as some attendees alleged, eventually left out of the cooler entirely after the ice ran out. The result was multiple food poisoning cases. Beyond the bad seafood, attendees also reported overcrowding, merch pre-order problems, unexpected price changes, and a venue that turned out to be a sparsely decorated college building — regular classrooms included.

Fan-run events for niche games can be charming when they come together, but the logistical bar for handling perishable food safely is non-negotiable. The Glasgow Willy's Chocolate Experience earlier this year showed how quickly an under-resourced fan event can spiral; Sugar Packet's cafe lands in similar territory, if with more direct health consequences.

Several days after the event, Sugar Packet posted four separate Instagram apologies, offered refunds, and announced a plan to cover any hospital bills tied to the takoyaki. They also shared information on how to report food safety violations to the city, announced a 10-month hiatus, and asked attendees not to harass volunteers — with two named organizers taking full responsibility. "The Deltarune cafe was a failure," they wrote plainly on Instagram. At least the accountability is there; hopefully everyone affected makes a full recovery.