Overview
Sometimes, you can plan for the future. Other times, you just have to adapt and innovate. When East Brunswick cafe Pope Joan found themselves the victims of three robberies over the course of 18 months, they decided to do the latter, making the bold move to stop accepting cash.
After announcing the change on their Facebook page earlier this week, the Nicholson Street hangout has gone completely cashless, with cards now reigning supreme as a form of payment for their caffeinated beverages and daytime food fare. They might've also jokingly stated that you can pay using your "favourite pet or first born child", but it's plastic or nothing here — with no minimum spend necessary (and no, bitcoin isn't an acceptable).
While the motivation behind the move is something no eatery should have to deal with, Pope Joan are now helping leading the way in phasing out notes and coins as a form of buying goods. Brisbane's Pablo & Rusty's became the country's first cash-free cafe last year, and while it hasn't started a trend yet, it's surely only a matter of time until digital money becomes everyone's preferred form of currency.