American tourist raises questions about Aussie cafe culture

When we think of Australian cafe culture, images of expertly brewed flat whites, vibrant brunch plates, and the hum of lively conversation come to mind.

Australia, particularly its urban centres, is often lauded for its high-quality coffee and the artisanal approach to cafe life.

However, a visitor recently shared a surprising aspect of Aussie culture that might leave other tourists scratching their heads.


American musician Gabe Pietrafesa, who recently toured Down Under, wanted to immerse himself in the local cafe culture but encountered a puzzling situation.

Despite Australia's reputation for exceptional coffee, Pietrafesa was at odds with the country's cafe hours.

In a video he shared online, Pietrafesa roamed around Perth and lamented his failed attempts to find an open cafe.


compressed-perth.jpeg
American musician Gabe Pietrafesa shared snippets of their Australia tour on social media. Image Credit: TikTok/Gabe Pietrafesa


His joy at spotting a cafe turned to disappointment upon discovering it was closed at 2 pm.

'I'm starting to wonder if Perth hates me,' he joked.

The musician's quest for a late afternoon pick-me-up continued, leading him to a nearby restaurant.


Unfortunately, he met another hurdle: the restaurant's coffee machine was out of order.

'Coffee machine was down? What is this? McDonald's in America with the ice cream machine?' Pietrafesa joked.

His struggle to find an open cafe in Perth was not an isolated incident, as residents also voiced their frustrations.

'Classic Perth, every cafe closes at 2 pm,' one local remarked.

'To be fair, they open at 6 am,' another responded.


'Perth closing times will never fail to shock the outside world,' a third comment read.

'Coffee shops close at 2 pm so the pubs can open,' someone wrote in jest.

Pietrafesa ended up with a cup of iced long black coffee and continued exploring unique sights across Perth.

Watch Pietrafesa’s video here:

Source: 06nissan/TikTok

This facet of Australian culture may surprise visitors who hail from places where coffee culture extends well into the night.

In a previous article, another tourist shared their confusion on social media about customers staying in cafes for an extended period.

In an online post, locals pointed out that Spending 30 to 45 minutes at a café after ordering food and beverages is standard, with some latitude for lingering slightly longer.
Key Takeaways

  • Touring musician Gabe Pietrafesa criticised the cafes' early closing times in Perth.
  • Despite Australia's reputation for excellent coffee, Pietrafesa was frustrated as he could not find an open cafe in the afternoon.
  • His experience of cafes closing by 2 pm reflects a common complaint among Perth residents.
  • Locals sympathised with Pietrafesa's situation and acknowledged Perth's unexpectedly early closing times for cafes.
Were you inconvenienced by the early closing times, or do you see it as a charming quirk of our local lifestyle? Share your thoughts and stories with us in the comments below!
 

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on driving past these places i see people at say 7.30am dining. I guess they are of the complaining lot about expenses. The owner has the right to decide their hours,
 
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Most cafes in Sydney close between 2 and 3pm, maybe 4pm if your lucky
But they generally open around around 6am-7am. So its normall 8hr shift
 
After going to a show at the Regal Theatre in Subiaco , my friends and I looked for somewhere to have supper. Nothing. Everywhere was closed so we had to drive about 15 minutes to find somewhere open, late enough to have supper. Thank you Little Lebanon in Osborne Park. Really yummy.
It's great to read something positive about yummy food outlets for a change instead of all the negativity we so often encounter.
 
Do yourself a favour. Go to the pub. Perth water, with its legendary brown-dog-killing properties is not fit to brew coffee from..... You might just survive the beer.
I live in Perth and drink 5/6 glasses of tap water every day. My husband was at the shopping centre one day and saw a guy selling water filtration systems, so he stopped and chatted to him. Long story short, a guy came the next day and tested our water, he said there is nothing wrong with it, showed us the test results. I'm still drinking the water from the tap and doing fine. Maybe it's different in other areas.
 
The funny thing about this guy...why didn't he find out this information before venturing out??
 
I live in Perth and drink 5/6 glasses of tap water every day. My husband was at the shopping centre one day and saw a guy selling water filtration systems, so he stopped and chatted to him. Long story short, a guy came the next day and tested our water, he said there is nothing wrong with it, showed us the test results. I'm still drinking the water from the tap and doing fine. Maybe it's different in other areas.
I can’t drink tap water when visiting my son in Perth, cant even brush my teeth as I do in Tasmania. We spend a fortune buying bottled water while we’re there but that’s better than suffering upset stomachs & stomachs aches. It’s been this way for almost 20 years. Maybe locals get used to the taste.
 
I can’t drink tap water when visiting my son in Perth, cant even brush my teeth as I do in Tasmania. We spend a fortune buying bottled water while we’re there but that’s better than suffering upset stomachs & stomachs aches. It’s been this way for almost 20 years. Maybe locals get used to the taste.
My neighbours just come back from Perth today she said the waters so bad she couldn’t drink it, this was up Mandurah way.🙀
 
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My neighbours just come back from Perth today she said the waters so bad she couldn’t drink it, this was up Mandurah way.🙀
It must be different areas that have problems, I live in the swan valley and I've had 3 glasses already today, no problems. I've not heard any of my family or neighbours complain either.
 
Do yourself a favour. Go to the pub. Perth water, with its legendary brown-dog-killing properties is not fit to brew coffee from..... You might just survive the beer.
I gather you have never been to Adelaide.

The water is so hard, you can't break it with a sledgehammer. Takes half a bottle of shampoo to get a miniscule lather!
 
I gather you have never been to Adelaide.

The water is so hard, you can't break it with a sledgehammer. Takes half a bottle of shampoo to get a miniscule lather!
Do you know that many years ago no ship would take on water in Adelaide or India. Obviously the water quality hasn't gotten any better
 

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