Yahoo Finance Cafe owner hits back after tourist calls out ‘annoying’ Aussie habit
A British traveller said it was the most frustrating part of her visit.
An Australian cafe owner has hit back at a complaint from a British tourist, who questioned why so many cafes close in the afternoon. Cafes, like many small businesses around the country, are battling cost-of-living pressures and already operate on very slim profit margins.
Anthony Porra co-owns the Bar Positano cafe in Sydney’s Surry Hills, which closes at 3:30pm from Monday to Thursday, an act London-native Ambar Driscoll called the “most annoying” thing she’d experienced in her travels.
But Porra told Yahoo Finance it didn’t make financial sense to stay open any later.
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“Cafe culture is really big here, but mainly as a breakfast, brunch, lunch concept,” he said.
“When we first opened, we had the cafe and coffee machine open until 5:00pm weekdays and 7:00pm weekends [but] ultimately, the service just dropped off after 3:00pm or 4:00pm.
Driscoll recently ranted in a TikTok video and questioned why she was unable to get a coffee as the sun sets in Australia.
“Why, in Australia, do all the coffee shops close at 2:00pm?” Ambar said. “I will go around looking for a little treat, little pick-me-up, at around 3:00-4:00pm. That's the kind of time I like to get maybe a decaf coffee or maybe a little sweet treat back at home.
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“But, in Australia, all the coffee shops and the cafés shut at 2:00pm. It's like they don't want to make money. That is my ideal time to go and sit in a café. Why?”
The UK is filled with large chains like Costa, Joe & the Juice, Starbucks, Caffè Nero, Pret and Greggs, where you can pick up a coffee as late as 8:00pm every day.
Recent data found the UK had more than 10,000 branded coffee shop outlets, making up more than half of the market. Whereas, in Australia, nearly 80 per cent of cafes are independently owned.
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Porra understands the need for an afternoon coffee, but he said it’s tough for small businesses to stay open in the hope that enough customers come in to justify all their overheads.
“Although there are some people who want coffee after those hours, it doesn’t compete with the rush/demand for coffee earlier in the day,” he told Yahoo Finance.
“If people visit a cafe for the cafe experience, they stop doing that after lunch time. So, to stay open just for coffee, when even that is not as popular, [it’s] not worth staying open.”
