Could Australia's love affair with cafes be coming to an end?

The Bureau of Statistics says retail sales rose 1.2 per cent in January, driven by a 2 per cent increase in cafe, restaurants and takeaway food services.

Two major Australian coffee brands, Cantarella - which owns Vittoria - and Modena, will take a dispute over blend names to the High Court today. (AAP)

But one small business owner says those numbers aren't reflective of the real world.

 

Vivo cafe owner, Angela Vithoulkas, a Sydney City Councillor and businesswoman with 28 years' of experience, warns that the high costs associated with running a food venue may change the cafe business in the future.

 

She says large chains are likely to eat into traditional local food eateries, and that there may be a shift to hole-in-the-wall food outlets.

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