I walked into this cafe in Nelson yesterday expecting the (now) usual $5+ flatwhite.

I walked into this cafe in Nelson yesterday expecting the (now) usual $5+ flatwhite.

What I got instead was a different experience.

Before I reached the counter, the barista was taking my order - asking for it over the top of the person in front of me.

As I waited, he juggled making multiple coffees and processing payments.

By the time I tapped my card, my drinks were already waiting.

No small talk. No fluff. Just pure efficiency.

The real surprise... $3.50 each

That’s nearly half of what most places charge.

So how do they make it work?

Fewer staff? Streamlined ops? Higher volume?

By the looks, it's yes to all of those.

And they had a queue out the door.

They're nailing a high volume, low price model focused on efficiency (and it was good coffee IMO)

But in tourism it's not always about saving time - it’s also about upgrading the quality of time.

A long queue for coffee (or security at the airport)? Usually, a nightmare.

A long dinner with great friends? A luxury.

Quantity of time vs Quality of time.

Duration doesn't always matter.