Tourist's frustration brews over Aussie cafés’ early closing hours
- Replies 41
The Australian café scene is renowned for its quality coffee, laid-back atmosphere, and delicious brunch options.
It's a cultural staple that locals and tourists alike usually relish.
However, one British tourist was left less than impressed by what she considers an 'annoying' habit of Australian cafés.
Ambar, a Londoner exploring Australia, expressed her dismay at discovering that many Australian cafés shut their doors around 2 pm each day.
She expressed frustration with the café closing times, deeming them the ‘most annoying thing about Australia’ during her travels.
In a video, Ambar questioned the business sense behind this practice, asking, 'Why, in Australia, do all the coffee shops close at 2 pm? I will go around looking for a little treat, little pick-me-up at around 3-4 pm, that's the kind of time I like to get maybe a decaf coffee or maybe a little sweet treat back at home.’
‘But in Australia, all the coffee shops and the cafés shut at 2 pm. It's like they don't want to make money. That is my ideal time to go and sit in a café—why?' she added.
The video quickly became a hot topic, with Australians jumping into the conversation to defend the café culture, arguing that there was ‘no point’ to cafés being open past 2 pm.
One café worker responded, 'Sorry, I'm not working past 2 pm when I've been there since 5:30 am.'
Another local added, 'Because they open, and are busy at 6 am, they [have] got to close at some point,' to which Ambar replied, ‘Okay? The café nearest me in London opens at half 6, and closes at 9 pm.’
The second commenter responded, ‘We're just massive morning people, I guess. I've never thought of going to get a coffee past midday.’
‘Because no customers come in after 2 pm, it is pointless to stay open longer. Yes, maybe a few people like you would come in, but that's not enough to justify staying open for another few hours,’ a third explained.
‘It's because we have a great work-life balance, that's the difference,’ another said.
However, not everyone is on board with this aspect of Australian life.
‘I was shocked when I moved to Sydney 11 years ago. All the retail stores close at 5 pm—THE TIME PEOPLE ARE OFF WORK AND HAVE TIME TO GO SHOPPING,’ one commenter complained.
‘Australia turns into a dead town after 5 pm. It needs more life, and for cafés to be open later,’ another agreed.
You can watch Ambar’s full video here:
Ambar was not the first British person who complained about Australia’s café closing times.
According to another British woman, this is just one of the things that she hates about living in Australia.
There was also another foreigner who complained about some elements of Australian café culture.
Do you share Ambar’s frustrations? What are your thoughts about the café culture in Australia? Let us discuss them in the comments below.
It's a cultural staple that locals and tourists alike usually relish.
However, one British tourist was left less than impressed by what she considers an 'annoying' habit of Australian cafés.
Ambar, a Londoner exploring Australia, expressed her dismay at discovering that many Australian cafés shut their doors around 2 pm each day.
She expressed frustration with the café closing times, deeming them the ‘most annoying thing about Australia’ during her travels.
A British tourist expressed her frustration over many Australian cafés closing after 2 pm. Credits: Shutterstock
In a video, Ambar questioned the business sense behind this practice, asking, 'Why, in Australia, do all the coffee shops close at 2 pm? I will go around looking for a little treat, little pick-me-up at around 3-4 pm, that's the kind of time I like to get maybe a decaf coffee or maybe a little sweet treat back at home.’
‘But in Australia, all the coffee shops and the cafés shut at 2 pm. It's like they don't want to make money. That is my ideal time to go and sit in a café—why?' she added.
The video quickly became a hot topic, with Australians jumping into the conversation to defend the café culture, arguing that there was ‘no point’ to cafés being open past 2 pm.
One café worker responded, 'Sorry, I'm not working past 2 pm when I've been there since 5:30 am.'
Another local added, 'Because they open, and are busy at 6 am, they [have] got to close at some point,' to which Ambar replied, ‘Okay? The café nearest me in London opens at half 6, and closes at 9 pm.’
The second commenter responded, ‘We're just massive morning people, I guess. I've never thought of going to get a coffee past midday.’
‘Because no customers come in after 2 pm, it is pointless to stay open longer. Yes, maybe a few people like you would come in, but that's not enough to justify staying open for another few hours,’ a third explained.
‘It's because we have a great work-life balance, that's the difference,’ another said.
However, not everyone is on board with this aspect of Australian life.
‘I was shocked when I moved to Sydney 11 years ago. All the retail stores close at 5 pm—THE TIME PEOPLE ARE OFF WORK AND HAVE TIME TO GO SHOPPING,’ one commenter complained.
‘Australia turns into a dead town after 5 pm. It needs more life, and for cafés to be open later,’ another agreed.
You can watch Ambar’s full video here:
Ambar was not the first British person who complained about Australia’s café closing times.
According to another British woman, this is just one of the things that she hates about living in Australia.
There was also another foreigner who complained about some elements of Australian café culture.
Last edited:
.png){kind=icon}
