‘Extortion’: Proof Aussie Cafes Have Lost the Plot

The great Aussie bacon and egg roll — a weekend staple as iconic as Bondi views and activewear brunches — has officially entered luxury territory. At some Sydney cafes, it now costs as much as a restaurant main, and locals aren’t happy about it.

The $19 Breakfast Shock

A viral Reddit post this week showed a chalkboard menu at a northern beaches café listing a bacon and egg roll for a whopping $19.
Sure, it came with aioli, rocket, and relish — but for most Aussies, the price still felt like a bad punchline.

“I’d want six full rashers of bacon,” one person joked. Another wrote bluntly, “$19 for a bacon and egg roll? Get f**ed.”

Even café regulars are starting to question if brunch culture has gone too far.

How Much Should It Really Cost?

To test the theory, several Aussies weighed in on what they’d actually pay:

• “$7.50 if it’s just bacon and egg. I’d pay more for avo … but $19? I’d have to be starving.”

• “When I’m at a café, I expect extortion — I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s $22.”

• “Anything over $12 and I’m upset. Ten dollars is ideal. If it came with a hash brown, maybe $13.”

The general consensus? Somewhere between $10 and $13 feels fair — anything higher feels “like daylight robbery,” as one commenter put it.

Brunch Inflation Hits Hard

Rising ingredient costs, staff wages, and rent hikes have been driving café prices up for years. But for many, a near-$20 bacon and egg roll feels like crossing a line — especially when it’s meant to be a simple comfort food.

One Sydney local summed it up perfectly:

“It’s not about the money, it’s about the principle. I shouldn’t need a personal loan for breakfast.”

The Bigger Picture

This isn’t just about eggs and bacon — it’s another sign of how the cost-of-living crisis continues to squeeze everyday Aussies. From groceries to takeaway coffee, small luxuries are becoming harder to justify.

Still, for many, that weekend roll is a small slice of joy worth defending — at least, until it hits $20.