NEO COFFEE BAR YONGE X GLOUCESTER — Restaurant in Toronto

Frustrating and Arbitrary Rules—Won’t Be Returning

I recently visited Neo Espresso Bar at Gloucester and Yonge on a snowy Saturday afternoon, hoping to enjoy a warm drink while catching up with a friend and getting some real estate work done. As someone who frequently meets clients in cafés, I was excited to try a new spot that looked inviting from the outside. Unfortunately, my experience inside was anything but welcoming.

Upon arriving, my friend and I ordered a coffee and pastry at the counter. We were immediately informed that they don’t accept cash, which, while inconvenient, wasn’t a dealbreaker. However, what followed was an extremely frustrating and inconsistent experience that ensured I will never return—and certainly never recommend this place to my clients.

No Available Seating, Yet No Effort to Manage It

After purchasing our drinks, we quickly realized that every single table was occupied—mostly by people studying or reading in groups or alone. While it’s understandable that a café might attract students or remote workers, the real issue was that not a single person moved the entire time we were there. The café seemed perfectly fine with people camping out indefinitely, making it impossible for new customers to find a seat.

After waiting for a few minutes, we reluctantly took a seat in the back corner near the washrooms, which was isolated, uncomfortable, and had no table to even place our drinks. Not ideal, but given the cold and snowy weather outside, we decided to make the best of it.

The Most Ridiculous Rule I’ve Ever Encountered in a Café

While chatting, my friend and I started discussing furniture arrangements in a condo, which led me to pull out my tablet to reference something. Within seconds, an employee approached and told me that computers and tablets were not allowed—something I found both confusing and completely arbitrary.

When I asked why, I was told that they have this rule to prevent people from occupying seats for too long. The irony? The entire café was already packed with people doing exactly that—but because they had books, Kindles, or notebooks instead of laptops or tablets, they were apparently exempt from the rule.

Blatant Discrimination Against Certain Devices

So let’s get this straight—if I had been staring at my phone for the exact same amount of time, it would have been perfectly acceptable. If I had been reading a Kindle or a physical book, I could have stayed as long as I wanted. But because I used a tablet, I was asked to put it away or leave.

This ridiculous and unevenly enforced rule felt like nothing more than an excuse to selectively police customers. If the café truly wanted to be fair, they should be banning anything that allows people to sit for extended periods—not just computers. Otherwise, this is nothing more than discrimination against a certain type of customer under the guise of a policy that makes zero sense.

Final Thoughts—Never Returning

I left feeling frustrated, insulted, and extremely confused by the way this café operates. Their hypocritical enforcement of rules, coupled with their complete lack of seating availability, makes it clear that this is not a welcoming place for anyone looking to do anything beyond silently drinking their coffee while staring into space.

If you’re considering visiting Neo Espresso Bar, be aware: ☕ You may not find a seat, even if you purchase something. 📵 You may be forced to leave if you pull out a laptop or tablet—even while others stay indefinitely with books or Kindles. 💳 Cash is not accepted. 🚫 Rules are enforced inconsistently and unfairly.

I won’t be coming back, and I certainly won’t be bringing my clients here. If you’re looking for a café where you’re treated fairly regardless of what device you use,...

Unfortunately I am adding one more testimony to the abrupt and rude manner in which their no-laptop policy is enforced. Looking forward to a Sunday morning of quiet contemplation, I had sat down for 10 minutes early on a Sunday morning to read a bit from an e-book on my laptop while drinking what was an adequate tasting (but not exceptional) large coffee beside the cafe's east facing windows when I was approached by an employee holding a sign informing me of the policy. There were only three people in the café including me and a lot of open seats. My coffee was still hot, so I continued on reading and working on my coffee. Within a matter of minutes I was approached a second time, this time more rudely and insistently. I was told there was a "no-screens" policy that was intended to help customers "disconnect", although the others were on their phones and I was not technically connected as I was offline reading a book on social theory from the 1960s. I asked for a refund, and they agreed with begrudging words of protest. They struggled at the cash to refund my purchase, asked me for the exact time I had made the purchase, scolded me for not possessing that, said they could not find my credit card (with which i had paid) in their system, and offered me a coffee to go instead. It was a needlessly hostile, conflictual, and degrading interaction over one measly drip coffee. The café has made the choice to create an arbitrary rule and to needlessly police people's harmless activities. They want customers to submit to their rules dociley. I don't really care about the $4, but I did care that they were rude and brought needless conflict and power tripping to my morning that I had intended to be relaxing and reflective.

Otherwise, the café is generally aesthetically bland and plays elevator music. There are better choices in the neighborhood, I had chosen this café specifically for the light and a space to read, not for their mediocre coffee. I took my refund that was eventually returned to me, and I went to another café around the corner that had more life, charm, and a less rigid atmosphere. I obviously will not go back to this café and suggest that others might look elsewhere given the accumulating testimonials...

Eating Breakfast While Being a Black Man -

I used to visit this location frequently—not just to grab a coffee, but to sit with my drink and enjoy their patio and quiet atmosphere. Not anymore.

A few weeks ago, I stopped by for my usual iced coffee. I had picked up a sandwich from another store and decided to enjoy it with the coffee I had just bought from Neo on their (empty) patio.

The woman who took my coffee order was someone I saw all the time; she recognized me too. She noticed the sandwich bag and informed me that outside food wasn’t allowed inside. I said, “No problem.” After picking up my coffee, I sat outside on the patio and started eating my sandwich—because why not?

Two bites in, the same woman came outside and told me I wasn’t allowed to eat the sandwich there either, clarifying that no outside food was allowed anywhere on the premises. I was caught off guard—me and my sandwich, on an empty patio, weren’t doing anyone any harm.

Then, she told me I had to leave. She took the coffee I had just purchased, transferred it into a to-go cup, and ushered me out. She even pointed to some nearby park benches—where unhoused people were openly using drugs—and suggested I go there instead. Out of embarrassment, I started to walk home.

But then I thought, no—you’re not going to kick a regular, paying customer off an empty patio for eating a sandwich. So I turned around, walked past her and another employee, and sat down again to finish my breakfast.

Eventually, the other employee—who I assume was a manager—came out and reiterated the same policy, but he just escalated the situation.

Here’s how this situation should have been handled: they should have recognized that I’m a regular customer and realized it was a minor misunderstanding.

They could have simply allowed me to finish my non-threatening egg sandwich while reinforcing the “no outside food” policy for the future. That would have preserved a loyal customer and upheld...