Australia inspired businesses take off in US

Global Business

An Australian themed cafe in New York city.

You’re probably seen this a lot in U.S. coffee shops: people with their headphones on, staring into their laptop computers as they guzzle cup after cup of coffee. But now, a more relaxed, social type of cafe culture is catching on in America, and it comes from ‘Down Under.’

CCTV’s Hendrik Sybrandy gave us this report.

It’s a busy, complicated life many of us lead these days. Things seem to move at warp speed. Coffee is one way we manage to keep up the pace.

“In New York you feel that. You know it’s go, go, go and then you sit in an Aussie cafe and it’s super relaxed,” said Julia Sullivan, a customer at an Australian themed cafe.

Sullivan should know. She grew up in Australia and feels like she’s right back there at this restaurant/coffee shop in Denver.

Amy Cohen and Hayden Barnie, are the husband and wife owners of Stowaway Coffee + Kitchen. This is the sort of place that’s quite common and popular in Australia.

“As an American, going over to Australia and being so mind-blown from the scene there, the cafe culture there, I knew immediately, this is something we don’t quite have in America,” said Cohen.

Amy and Hayden met in Japan, grew to love the cafes in Melbourne and thought they’d try the concept here.

A number of Australian-style cafes have already opened in New York and other U.S. cities.

“You know Australians have overtaken parts of America,” said Cohen.

Americans aren’t about to ditch their frenetic lifestyles. But more and more, Australia with its laid-back ways is creeping closer.