Australian radio presenter baffled at the price of a babycino at Sydney café: '80ml of lukewarm milk'
In Australian cafés, it isn't unusual for an affordable babycino to be included on the menu.
In case you're not a parent, a babycino is a cute, kid-friendly version of a cappuccino made from warmed-up milk and froth and it doesn't contain any coffee.
Most customers would expect a babycino to retail for around $1, but one Australian radio host was left a little shocked at the price he was charged at a Sydney café.
Former 2GB presenter Julian King tells 9Honey Kitchen he was spending time at the waterpark when he ordered a coffee for himself and a babycino for his daughter.
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Babycinos are usually just warmed up milk with some froth on top (Stock Image). Getty Images/iStockphoto
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The price? $3, plus a little pink marshmallow on top – only moderately cheaper than a full-size cup of coffee.
"I don't want to name and shame because the service at this café is so great," King explains.
"But it was just a bit of milk warmed up in a little piccolo cup, it had a capacity of around 80ml."
King wasn't exactly distraught at the price but says it was far higher than he expected.
He also didn't want to argue after seeing the $3 listed on his bill and reluctantly paid the charge.
"My local charges $2, I've been going there for years and they give us freebies sometimes, and I've had friends that say they are charged $1," King adds. "I've never seen it for $3."
"It's basically just warm milk with some froth and maybe some sprinkles on it."
King says he was surprised the babycino was $3. Twitter
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Comparatively, McDonald's charges 0.95c for a babycino at its McCafé.
The radio broadcaster says it's likely a result of the inflation crisis impacting local businesses.
King doesn't blame the café for passing costs onto the customer, but worries it's a warning sign of things to come.
"We know rents are going up, electricity is skyrocketing… and these costs are being passed onto the consumer," he continues.
"The thing about coffee culture is there's really good profit, you can make a pretty decent mark-up on a coffee – and a mark-up on a babycino in this case."
The price of a babycino isn't the only overpriced item King has had qualms about lately, after revealing he recently paid $9 for a small schooner of mid-strength beer at a Sydney pub.
Babycinos usually cost around $1 at cafés, including McDonald's. Instagram
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King first drew attention to the café's exorbitant babycino price in a heated Twitter post.
"I understand that [the] cost of living is on the rise, but 3 bucks for a babyccino is taking the piss," he wrote.
"80ml of lukewarm milk. Did get a plastic straw, so there's that."
It also caught the eye of 2GB radio host Ben Fordham, who agreed on-air the price was not acceptable.
