A woman has fumed after shelling out $15 for two coffees with a cafe owner warning higher prices are on the way.
Brisbane woman Phoebe Parsons said she ordered two small cappuccinos – one with oat milk and another with almond – on New Year’s Day.
Despite knowing the few cafes open would pass on holiday surcharges to customers and bump up the cost of her coffees, she still scoffed in shock at the price.
‘I understand why you have to do that from a business perspective … (but) what?’ she said in a TikTok video.
Social media users were left shocked by the cost, adding they also spent wild amounts on a simple cup of coffee.
‘Hubby paid $19.80 for two small iced long blacks in Newcastle this morning,’ one commented, adding she ‘almost collapsed’ in shock.
‘I just was charged $8.10. Thought that was a bit much,’ a second wrote.
‘My iced latte today was $13.80 with the surcharge,’ a third wrote.
Brisbane woman, Phoebe Parsons (pictured), has scoffed in shock after spending $15 on two small cappuccinos at a cafe on New Year’s Day
A fifth said they were no longer buying coffees away from home to save money.
‘I just ended up buying a nice barista style coffee machine,’ they wrote.
‘It’s been a game changer for me and my fam, me and and my hubby get freshly brewed coffees.’
Others said the cost was now ‘standard’, especially when adding on the cost of alternative milks and surcharges for the higher hourly rate for staff on a holiday.
One noted that the rising price of coffee beans was adding to the soaring operating costs for cafes.
‘Realistic most cafes are lucky to be making $0.50 profit on an $7-$8 coffee when you take all the expenses into account,’ they wrote.
ANZ Agribusiness Insights head Michael Whitehead said the cost of coffee would continue to increase in small increments alongside increased operating costs.
‘Lots of people say, “I’m not paying $6 for coffee”, but then they will,’ he told Yahoo.
Experts have warned the cost of a standard coffee could continue to rise in 2025 due to cost-of-living pressures and the increased cost of beans.
The cost of Aussie favourite Arabica beans last year cost as high as $5.45-per-pound, the highest it’s cost in history and breaking a record set in 1977.
The increase is in part due to environmental factors ravaging harvests in the few areas around the world able to grow the sensitive coffee plant.
Brazil, the largest producer of coffee in the world, was hit by heavy rainfall in October before experiencing drought-like conditions.
The second largest producer, Vietnam, has also been hit by drought-like conditions, further limiting the supply of coffee beans around the world.
Limited supply is just one of the many pressures closing in on cafes though, with increased inflation rates leading to a rise in the cost of rent, utilities and ingredients.
