toronto patios

Strange sign posted on Toronto cafe patio has people asking questions

An independent cafe in Toronto has become the centre of a buzzed-about mystery thanks to some ominous signage that staff posted on its outdoor patio.

The otherwise quaint curbside dining area for Milky's Coffee at 760 Dundas Street West has drawn the attention of passersby lately thanks to the sign, which warns that "due to recent events, Ouija boards are no longer permitted on the patio."

Those walking past the business, which is just west of Bathurst Street on the thoroughfare, have had their fair share of questions given the complete lack of context for the bizarre message.

A photo of the poster, shared to X over the weekend, garnered hundreds of likes and dozens of reposts as people wondered what the heck had happened at the location to necessitate the peculiar measure.

"There has to be an interesting story here…" one person remarked, with another adding,"gotta know what was summoned."

"Now I wanna know what events," one insisted, while another joked that "this is either an ingenious marketing ploy I don't yet understand, or very concerning."

And, with that latter guess, that individual was right, as Milky's confirmed to blogTO on Monday.

Some residents may be disappointed to find out that there were not actually any hauntings, possessions or other incidents at the cafe to warrant the announcement, but that owners simply "made it up because we thought it was funny."

"I think the magic is the mystery of what happened," they continued, adding that it appears that netizens "have really been letting their imaginations run free" on social media — which, of course, is the fun of the stunt.

Lead photo by

Becky Robertson


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Eat & Drink

The best grocery stores and loyalty programs for newcomers in Canada

Toronto restaurant that's served fish 'n chips for almost a century shuts down

Matty Matheson opening new restaurant in Toronto

Loblaw named among Canada's top 100 employers for 2025

Toronto restaurateur reminds us to support older restaurants if we want them to survive

Even more carrots recalled in Canada over potentially deadly contamination

Brazilian coffee chain with nearly 300 locations globally is opening in Toronto

Toronto cafe that's been around for 15 years is permanently closing