In response to changing Australian coffee drinking habits, Industry Beans has extended the opening hours of its CBD cafés in Melbourne and Sydney until 6pm on weekdays.
“Right now, what we’re seeing and hearing is that coffee drinking doesn’t stop at 2, 3, or 4pm in Australian cities – it’s become an evening experience,” says Trevor Simmons, CEO at Industry Beans.
For a long time, specialty coffee cafés around the world – particularly throughout Asia – have been trading into the evening, sometimes as late as 8 or 9pm. It’s exciting to see the Australian coffee drinking community adopting the same habits, especially in our city centres.
“Part of the reason Industry Beans says the Australian coffee culture is shifting into a day-night experience is because of the rise of specialty coffee-based drinks.”
In 2016, Industry Beans introduced its Coffee Bubble Cup combining cold brew with a condensed milk mix and coffee-soaked tapioca pearls, and in 2017, brought its Fitzroy Iced to life – an iced coffee made with cold brew, milk and naturally enhanced with wattleseed and panela.
Industry Beans says the growing popularity and quality of non-coffee café drinks like hot chocolate, chai, and tea, a caffeine kick before some late-night shopping, and non-alcoholic meet ups with friends are also contributing to the evening café culture.