All good points, and I appreciate the response, though I'd have to argue that regardless of what the particular time difference is - perhaps 30 seconds, perhaps more - it does take longer to make an espresso-based beverage than pour a cup of brewed coffee, and this of course multiplies depending on how busy the place is. I've done a fair amount of traveling around Australia, and have found this to be the case everywhere I've gone (though I'll admit I haven't made my way to Melbourne yet - though I'm dying to make the trip, as I hear such great things - so perhaps things are different over there). I've also noticed that because of the amount of drinks that need to be made with the espresso machine, cafe's here typically have more employees on the clock than those back home.

I understand this argument that Australia is very particular about its coffee, but considering the amount of instant coffee that's consumed here, I find it very hard to believe that people wouldn't buy a quality cup of brewed coffee. Sure, there would still be a number of people who'd stick with their long blacks - I know I'd still buy them, at least some of the time - but I do think a market exists for 'regular joe' as well.

I personally buy Merlo coffee and brew it at home, and it is phenomenal. Can you honestly tell me that you wouldn't, at least on occasion, buy a freshly brewed cup of one of Merlo's darker blends if it were half the price? I'd even argue that a quality cup of coffee like that is far better than the long black I'm going to get at Zaraffa's.

And as for prices, perhaps they are lower depending on which part of Australia you're in, but there's no doubt that an espresso-based beverage will cost more than a cup of brewed coffee anywhere.