In a cafe which insists on closing at 3pm even though there are always a fair few customers here then. IMO Aussie cafes need to dare to stay open later. I bet they'd get a lot of business straight after work, say 5-7pm.
@timrichards A friend who is a chef ran a cafe for ten years. Up at 4.30am to pick up fresh produce and prep so she could open at 7am. Closed around 2.30pm after the lunch crowd died down. I don’t think it’s feasible to stay open later.
@LifeTimeCooking I think it'd be worth it. It's hard to judge now, because no one expect cafes to open after work. It works overseas though, cafes often open to 8pm.
@timrichards For some perhaps, but I know ones that have tried opening to 6 and it hasn't worked. It might just be Adelaide. I still think that kitchen and front of house staff costs might mean it is not worth it. Most of their business would be done 7 - 9, in my guess. Even in Sydney cafes don't do it.
@sister_ratched@timrichards Yes, it does. And probs why cafes can't make a go of it after 5 - people'll go to the pub for drinks, then have dinner there or nearby instead.
@sister_ratched@LifeTimeCooking Cafes can be licensed. Brunetti has a big cafe on Flinders Lane that's open very late and is hugely busy. They do serve wine too, but it's not a major part of the operation.
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