A $10.80 iced coffee has sparked outrage among Aussies.
A customer snapped a photo of a flyer inside The Healthlink Crew in Melbourne advertising an iced coffee or an iced chocolate for over $10.
If customers want soy, almond, oat or lactose-free milk, they’ll have to pay $2 more.
The photo was shared to Reddit, with Aussies quick to share their outrage.
‘$2 extra for soy milk? Criminal,’ one person wrote.
‘I love how a long black coffee (hot water and a shot) can be $6 now. This is strong-armed robbery. Let’s just brew at home!’ a second said.
‘Saw one recently for $12. Yeah, nah,’ a third commented.
‘It’s ridiculous but very standard now,’ a fourth wrote.
This sign has left many outraged while some defended the cost of iced coffees
‘Let’s stop buying if we don’t agree with the price,’ another said.
‘At this point, just make your iced coffee at home,’ someone suggested.
However, other Aussies defended the company, saying it was becoming increasingly difficult to run a business in a city centre.
‘Interested to know what the breakdown of costs are tax and rate and wage increases. Rents are high in the CBD,’ one person said.
‘Before people get their pitchforks, running small shopfront businesses in Australia is incredibly expensive and hard to succeed,’ another wrote.
‘Cafes are probably the most underestimated business venture in terms of narrow margins and labour intensity.
‘To boil it down, there’s a deluge of variable and fixed costs. A snazzy coffee machine? That costs as much as a Corolla. Want some staff? Three casuals, now you’re over $120 an hour in labour.’
Coffee prices in Australia have surged of late, with average café prices reaching approximately $6 a cup in major cities like Sydney and Melbourne.
The Health Link Crew has a great reputation for the quality of its food but one item’s price has stunned Aussies
It’s a 37.5 per cent increase from pre-pandemic levels.
Experts warn that prices for a flat white or latte could soar to $12 within three years due to rising bean, milk, and operational costs.
Weather extremes have affected coffee growing regions such as those in Brazil, Indonesia and Vietnam, and pushed up the global coffee bean price to a 47-year high of US$2.39 a pound, according to the International Coffee Organization.
Essential Coffee, a major Australian supplier of coffee machines and beans, has seen their wage bill rise by nine per cent in the past two years.
The wholesale price of coffee has also risen 119 per cent since November 2023.
There is no limit on the amount businesses can charge as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission only requires it be clearly displayed on menus.
The Healthlink Crew was contacted for comment.
