Number of operating cafés and restaurants Australia FY 2024, by turnover

At the end of the 2024 financial year, just over 34,000 cafés and restaurants in operation in Australia had an annual turnover of between 200,000 and two million Australian dollars. This figure represents a majority of the roughly 55,700 cafés and restaurants operating nationwide. A much smaller number of cafés and restaurants reported an annual turnover greater than two million Australian dollars. 

A key sector of the Australian economy

In recent years, a rise in the number of cafés and restaurants has been witnessed throughout Australia, remaining over 55,000 establishments for two consecutive years. Before the COVID-19 pandemic severely affected Australia’s economy, the annual turnover of cafés, restaurants, and takeaway food services nationwide had increased each year for more than a decade. In 2024, annual revenue reached a new peak of over 65 billion Australian dollars.

Australia's coffee culture

New South Wales leads across Australia's states and territories with over 19,225 cafés and restaurants at the end of the financial year 2024, followed closely by Victoria. This concentration in Australia's most populous states underscores the urban-centric nature of the country's food service industry. Coffee plays a crucial role in this landscape, with Australians ranking it as their most regularly consumed beverage in a 2024 survey. The popularity of coffee has supported the proliferation of both international chains, including McCafé, and domestic franchises, such as The Coffee Club and Donut King, across Australia.