Eye-watering price for Anzac Day coffee

A Sydney man has paid an outrageous price for a coffee after the dawn service in Coogee, as cost of living pressures across the country send prices soaring.

Thousands rugged up and headed down to Sydney’s beaches to pay their respects to those who have served their country.

However, it seems that even on our national day of remembrance, people across the country can’t catch a break from the rising cost of everyday items.

As the dawn service crowd filed out of Coogee on Tuesday morning, those heading to nearby cafes were looking at shelling out more than $6 for a small oat latte.

Back in 2020, the same cafe advertised a discounted $2 small cup of coffee for military servicemen and women all year round.

Businesses open on public holidays typically charge an additional 15 per cent service surcharge on all items to cover the increased costs of opening their doors.

Add that to the already high cost for a cup of coffee due to rising inflation and it’s no surprise coffee drinkers across the board are paying so much for a latte.

Sydney’s affluent beachside suburbs weren’t the only place coffee prices were inflated.

One cafe in Port Noarlunga in South Australia was selling a cup of coffee and an Anzac cookie together for almost $7.

An outdoor bar in Darwin put together a special Anzac Day breakfast menu for those heading to the early morning services.

A humble bacon and egg roll was going for $20, with smashed avo following closely behind at $19 – not including the additional 15 per cent surcharge for public holidays.

The soaring prices would come as a shock to many dawn service attendees, with Anzac Day festivities typically mirroring the spirit of free breakfasts and baking sales.

The term “Gunfire brekkie” harks back to the British tradition of serving a cup of steaming tea to troops before they headed out on a morning parade.

It has since evolved into a national tradition at RSLs and community halls across the country, with rum-spiked coffee and Anzac Day biscuits a regular feature.

One venue is serving up a full breakfast of bacon, chipolata sausages, scrambled eggs, toast and a hot beverage all for just $7 – or free of charge for veterans.

Continue the conversation at madeleine.achenza@news.com.au