The common Aussie cafe rule that makes no sense

While workers defend the 'infuriating' move, others are baffled by it. Where do you stand?

A British tourist travelling in Australia has called out a frustrating rule that cafes in Australia follow. 

Ambar, from London, took to TikTok to rant about the fact they all close around 2 pm every day, preventing her from being able to buy a coffee during the crucial afternoon ‘pick-me-up’ window. 

Firstly, she argues, cafes are missing out on guaranteed profit, which makes ‘no sense’ from a business perspective.

And secondly, it means she’s left with nowhere to go to get her coffee fix. 

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"It's like they don't want to make money"

“Why do coffee shops close at 2 pm?” she began the video. “Because I will go looking for a little treat, a little pick-me-up at around 3-4 pm. That’s the time that I like to get 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 cafe - why?”

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Ambar’s hot take definitely got the comment section talking, with many Aussies coming out to defend cafes. 

“Sorry, I'm not working past 2 pm when I've been there since 5.30 am,” one worker wrote. 

Another said, “Because they open and are busy at 6 am, they’ve got to close at some point,” a second user said. 

But Ambar replied, “Okay? The cafe nearest to me in London opens at 6:30 am and closes at 9 pm.”

Others agreed that it was because Aussies are notorious ‘morning people’. 

“We're just massive morning people I guess, I've never thought of going to get a coffee past midday,” someone shared. 

Image: Supplied

The 'third place': In defence of cafes extending their opening hours

Now, before you start tut-tutting at Ambar’s ‘first world problem’, spare me a couple of minutes to go a little deeper into this issue. 

I think what Ambar is touching on here is something more substantial — the concept of the ‘third place’. 

It’s something I believe Australia is severely lacking in, and something we would greatly benefit from establishing. 

Let me explain. 

The term ‘third place’ originated from a 1989 book, The Great Good Place, by sociologist Ray Oldenberg. He characterised third places as locations that facilitate social interaction outside of work and home and encourage ‘public relaxation’. 

Sounds great, right?

It’s also meant to greatly improve our well-being. 

According to the book, these ‘third places’ help facilitate direct or indirect social contact which boosts feelings of happiness and connectivity, especially in our increasingly online and lonely society. 

“What suburbia cries for are the means for people to gather easily, inexpensively, regularly, and pleasurably,” said Oldenburg. 

Are you seeing where I’m going with this?

Cafes, with their promise of warmth and cosy vibes, naturally fill this niche. 

They’re places where we can go when we’re hitting that all-too-familiar slump in our day or when we just need a break and want to sit in a corner and read a book,  listen to a podcast, or kill time between school daycare pick up and drop off. 

But without this option, people are left to seek out other venues, which often leads them to the pub, because it’s the only thing that’s open. 

Could cafes closing so early be nudging people towards alcohol, when really they’d rather have a coffee or a tea?

It’s definitely something to consider...

We need more places to socialise after dark 

As Ambar mentioned, in the UK and many other European countries, cafes are open well into the night, which gives people a place to ‘grab a drink’ without heading to the local pub or a bar. 

Sure, they’re not vital, but they’re one ingredient to a vibrant, lively after-work scene. 

And if you live in Australia, you’d know we could use some help in that department (we turn into a dead town after 5 pm).

But providing spaces for people to go to at all hours wouldn't just help our nightlife - it would also make things more accessible for everyone.

It would offer flexibility to those who don’t work conventional hours or who do shift work and need a coffee beforehand. And of course, it would benefit remote workers or freelancers who don’t have an office to go to. 

So yes, I think extending cafe hours isn’t just about catering to tourists who expect it, or caffeine addicts after their arvo fix - it’s about boosting our collective wellbeing and breathing life into our cities. 

Originally published as The common Aussie cafe rule that makes no sense