TOT Café — Restaurant in Saskatoon

I’ve been a regular at Tot Café since they first opened two years ago, visiting almost daily. However, today was the last straw, and I will not be returning.

I arrived at 12:45 pm during prime lunch hour and ordered a butternut squash soup, a muffin, and a latte. After waiting for 20 minutes at my table, a waiter informed me there was no more soup. How does a café run out of food from its lunch menu in the middle of the day? This isn’t an isolated incident—two months ago, they ran out of coffee beans, and another time in the summer, both espresso machines were broken. For a coffee shop, this is simply unacceptable.

The situation became even more frustrating when, as the waiter was telling me there was no soup, another waitress brought the soup to my table. Thinking the issue had been resolved, I was ready to enjoy my order when the first waiter insisted there wasn’t any left. The waitress reassured me, saying more soup was coming, but the waiter then snapped that it was “for another customer.” Why bring it to my table, then? The lack of communication and professionalism was astonishing.

I decided to speak to the manager, hoping for some resolution, but she was shockingly rude and dismissive. When I explained what had happened, she unapologetically stated that the soup was for another customer and showed no concern for how poorly the situation had been handled. Even after acknowledging that she recognized me as a regular customer, she offered no effort to retain my business. I calmly requested a refund and suggested they make it right with a gesture like a free meal, but I was met with a blank stare and a condescending attitude.

This incident was the culmination of ongoing issues at this café. The tables are frequently dirty, the staff is disorganized, and the management is entitled and unprofessional. Despite being a loyal customer and generous tipper who has supported this business since its first day, I was treated as if my patronage didn’t matter.

Tot Café has officially lost a loyal customer. I won’t hesitate to share my experience to warn others. If you value decent service, consistency, and professionalism, take your money elsewhere. This place does not deserve...

Tot cafe used to be one of my favourite places to grab a bite to eat while I study. The service USED to be great. Friendly staff, great atmosphere, etc. Unfortunately I cannot say the same anymore.

After my most recent visit, I cannot in good conscience support their business. A group of my friends and I decided to go to Tot to eat AND study as they are known for being an excellent place for university students. 4/5 of the girls bought a meal as well as a drink, each spending about 20 dollars. My friend decided to not order anything at the time as she wanted to see how our orders were etc. Within 10 minutes, the staff had singled her out and showed extremely unprofessional behaviour. They were extremely rude to ONLY HER. As I quote “you need to be a paying costumer to be here or you will have to leave”. Now, there is nothing wrong with wanting the people inside your business to buy your products, BUT we had only sat down for approximately 10 minutes… not 30 minutes, not 2 hours, 10. Minutes. The funniest part is, I HAD NOT ORDERED EITHER. I ordered my own meal and drink AFTER the other girls. I did NOT receive ANY of those same remarks. This unfortunately leaves me to believe this was a direct act of racism as she was the only black girl in the store.

And one last thing, do not push and advertise as a students place to study if that is NOT what they truly desire. I unfortunately will no longer recommend this place to anyone, but especially those who are minorities. They do not want you, and will OUTWARDLY show...

Upon ordering and paying ahead at the counter, we were looked after by a young man at the till, his customer service was exceptional but more than that he made me feel welcome and answered my questions about what came with my meal with a politeness and caring ,I haven’t had service this good anywhere in a very long time! The specialty coffee drinks we ordered were delicious and then the food arrived….wow, a work of art but more than that scrumptious!!! I ordered the eggs Benedict with ham and they were the best I’ve ever eaten!!! The potato wedges were seasoned perfectly and the eggs done how they should be, soft boiled to perfection! The flavours were outstanding but it was an unexpected pleasure to see it came with a fresh mixed greens salad that is usually unheard of with eggs benny, now I can’t have it any other way!!! My daughter had the Korean wings and mushroom soup, which she absolutely loved!! Outstanding, the entire experience was amazing, I’m glad my daughter suggested it!!! One of my fav things was the movie that played on one of the walls which was a Charlie Chaplin movie, so surprised!!!! We will definitely be returning, time and again !!! Highly recommend!!! Can’t wait to go back and try more items!! The vibe is so relaxed and comfortable you feel as if you can take your time and enjoy...