A woman says she was turned away from a Cactus Club location because of what she was wearing, and Canadians who have spent years dining at the chain in hoodies and sweatpants are absolutely stunned.
TikTok user @adriianaasiimone posted a video explaining that Cactus Club Cafe in Miami would not let her in because of her outfit.
“Cactus Club did not let me in because of my outfit. Look at my outfit. I’m wearing a skirt and a shirt. And they denied me,” she said in the clip.
@adriianaasiimone #cactusclub #miami #dresscoded #fyp #miami ♬ original sound – KeepingupwithAdrii🫦
The video has racked up over 47,000 likes and 1,200 comments in just two days, and the reaction from Canadians is where it gets good.
For anyone who has ever walked into a Cactus Club in Vancouver, Toronto, or anywhere else in Canada, the idea of a dress code is almost comical.
“This is crazy because in Toronto you could literally go in a tracksuit if you wanted to,” one commenter wrote, pulling in nearly 19,000 likes.
“Cactus in Canada we go in sweats lmaoo,” another added.
“I literally wear the worst clothes to cactus, I used to work there and they dgaf,” said another.
For context, Cactus Club recently expanded into the United States with locations in Miami and Boston.
The move marked a major step for the Vancouver-born chain, which has built its reputation on upscale casual dining across Canada.
When those U.S. locations first opened, many Vancouverites found it amusing to watch Americans get excited about a restaurant they considered just a regular chain back home.
But the Miami location is clearly operating on a different level.
The restaurant’s website lists a full dress code policy for its Miami spot. It bans athletic wear, gym attire, hoodies, sweatpants, loungewear, oversized clothing, beanies, slides or flip flops, swimwear, and what it calls “excessively bold or disruptive accessories or jewelry.”
For evening service, men are also not allowed to wear shorts, sleeveless shirts, or baseball caps.
The policy states that admission is at the discretion of management, “with the goal of ensuring an exceptional experience for all guests.”
None of the Canadian Cactus Club locations have anything close to this kind of dress code, which is exactly why the video has struck such a nerve.
It is a funny reminder that the same restaurant chain can mean very different things depending on which side of the border you are on.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.