Overview
Cafes, bars and restaurants aren't generally known for being lucratively profitable (unless you're a celebrity restaurateur, say, or a certain hospitality juggernaut in Sydney). But Cost Price Cafe is taking it to the other extreme — it makes zero profits.
The cafe, which launched in March this year, serves uni students and workers alike from its truck in Marshall Park. The prices of its items are fluid, changing every fortnight. At present, it's selling small coffees for $2.50, large for $3, tea for $1 and biscuits for 50 cents. There's no extra charge for alternative milk or an extra shot and you also get a 20-cent discount if you bring in a reusable cup.
The items are costed as such to cover wages, ingredients and other essentials — but if the cafe sells more than expected and "makes a profit" the price of the items will decrease.
And owner Leonie Bucher expects that they will — she explains in a graph on the cafe's Facebook page that if the cafe consistently sell 150 coffees a day, the price will go down to $1.48.
To maintain transparency, you'll be able to monitor the current price of coffee — as well as the cafe's other costs — on its Facebook page. It's a bold idea, but here's hoping you'll be able to swing $1 coffee sometime soon.
Find Cost Price cafe Marshall Park, Kelvin Grove Road, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane. It is open from 6.30am to 11.30am, Monday to Friday. For more info, visit costpricecafe.com.au.