Australia Opens Early, a Unique Strength
Topic: Community and Society
Monday, 25 May 2026, at 5:40 am
In Brisbane, people go for a run, ride bikes, or have coffee from 5:30 am.
After 5:30 am, Terrance Watson sits by the Brisbane River with a coffee.
He starts his day near the river, often with his bike, about five days a week.
Terrance says, 'It gives me time to plan in the quiet.'
Terrance rides at 4:30 am and then stops for coffee.
He meets four others for coffee, including Andrew, who comes a bit later.
Andrew orders a special coffee without saying a word.
For Andrew, morning coffee is a must, especially when working from home.
His daily habit is about both the coffee and the people he meets.
Andrew says, 'To me, it is all about community.'
Garry and Deborah walk 5 kilometers and then have coffee at 5 am.
Garry and Deborah meet for a walk and coffee up to four times a week.
Garry says, 'It is just a good thing to do, especially with a walking partner.'
Deborah jokes that the coffee is the main reason they walk.
Julie sits by the river with her dog, Yuki, and enjoys the morning.
Julie says, 'I love seeing everyone out and about.'
A photo of Julie with Yuki.
The cafe in Brisbane's South Bank is busiest from 5:30 am to 8:30 am.
They serve about 150 coffees during the morning rush.
Brisbane's South Bank is active from early in the morning.
13% of Brisbane's food and drink places open between 5 am and 6 am.
Between 6 am and 7 am, 32% of venues are open; by 8 am, half are open.
Jan meets friends over coffee before work, a daily routine.
Dr. Edwards says Australia has a 'distinctive strength' in early morning trading.
She thinks this strength should be promoted.
Australians spend similar amounts of money in the morning and at night, but on different things.
In the morning, they spend on retail and dining; at night, mostly on dining.
Brisbane and Perth have the most venues open early, about 30% between 6 am and 7 am.
Dr. Edwards thinks the climate and time difference might explain the early starts.
In Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, and Hobart, fewer venues open early.
Dr. Edwards says Australians are among the earliest risers globally.
This shows in how early cafes and services open.
About 900,000 Australians work between midnight and 6 am.
Dr. Edwards used to study the night-time economy but now looks at the morning economy too.
She was inspired by a post from Ivan Power about Sydney's morning economy.
Ivan Power noticed that cafes in Bondi Beach were full by 6:30 am.
He thinks the morning economy presents a big opportunity.
Ivan Power's photo of Bondi Beach in the morning.
He believes tourists love Australia's early morning culture.
In London's Soho, only 9% of venues are open between 6 am and 7 am.
In Downtown Dubai, 9% are open between 6 am and 7 am, and 32% by 9 am.
The data comes from 7,830 food and drink businesses in 20 areas.
Better data is needed to understand the morning economy.
Ivan Power says it's about finding new opportunities beyond the usual pub scene.
You can have business meetings over breakfast.
Dr. Edwards says there's a lot to learn about the economy and social activities by time of day.
After the pandemic, people's routines changed, and new opportunities appeared.
We need better data to understand these changes and make the most of them.
Ivan Power says people invest in open spaces when they see economic opportunities.
Dr. Edwards notes that some businesses face barriers to opening early.
She thinks about how to improve social cohesion and bring people together.
In Queensland, a nightlife economy commissioner was appointed to support the sector.
As Brisbane prepares for the Olympics, businesses should take advantage of every opportunity.
Deniz Sener says his cafe is busiest between 5:30 am and 8:30 am.
Brisbane is an early morning city and also vibrant at night.
Businesses are looking at how they can operate to take advantage of this.
Heidi Cooper says becoming a world-class city means meeting customer demand at different times.
If businesses can't run smoothly, it won't work.
The challenge for businesses is that it's tough to run a business with increasing costs.
Monday, 25 May 2026, at 5:40 am
Monday, 25 May 2026, at 6:45 am
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