Brisbane Times is launching its Premium Digital subscription with a new kind of café currency: your morning coffee.
With a cup in Australia’s top coffee cities now averaging more than $5, Brisbane Times is setting its own exchange rate for four days only: a month of local news for less than the price of a single coffee.
From Thursday 22 until Sunday 25 October, between 6 am and 10 am, anyone can visit one of over 15 participating cafés across Brisbane, scan a QR code and subscribe to Brisbane Times Premium Digital. For just $3 a month for the first three months*, subscribers get unlimited access to local news, Good Food reviews and restaurant recommendations, a host of puzzles, and a coffee included.
It’s a currency built for a city that takes its coffee seriously. Brisbane ranked fifth among 40 Australian locations in a 2026 Travelbag analysis of the country’s top coffee hotspots, with the Gold Coast second and Bundaberg tenth, giving Queensland three spots in the national top 10.
Good Food experts handpicked the participating cafés, including Bellissimo in Fortitude Valley, Morning After in West End, John Mills Himself in Brisbane CBD, Cafe O-Mai in Annerley and Darvella in Bulimba.
Kymberley Joseph, Brisbane Times Senior Brand & Content Manager, said: “We’re tapping into the city’s vibrant coffee culture to give Brisbane a fun and accessible way to experience our new Premium Digital subscription. By offering a month’s access for less than the price of a long black, we’re inviting a new wave of readers to add our trusted local news, Good Food reviews, and daily puzzles to their morning routine.”
Rosanna Ryan, Brisbane Times Editor, said: “I grew up in Brisbane, and what I love about this city is how fast it’s growing. Brisbane Times helps you make sense of it, with journalism that looks at the big picture, brings a solutions-focused perspective and covers our city independently. From Good Food pointing you to the next great restaurant to try, to games and puzzles like the BT Quiz that are built for Brisbane locals, everything we do is made for this city.”
Matt Shea, Brisbane Times Food and Culture Editor and Good Food writer, said: “My job as a Good Food writer is to help Brisbane find the most memorable places to eat and drink, so you need to take picking these cafes seriously. Brisbane has a brilliant coffee scene, so think of this weekend as a starting point. If I had to pick one, it would be Bellissimo, partly because the Valley cafe is a few doors down from my house, but also because their breakfast roll is low-key one of the best in town. Wherever you end up, try to order something to eat while you’re there. Independent cafés run on thin margins, and a busy weekend makes a real difference.”
Since launching in 2007, the digital-only masthead has become one of Queensland’s most-read and trusted news sites. The full list of participating cafés and terms is available at https://your.brisbanetimes.com.au/cafe-currency.
OFFER DETAILS
When: Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 October 2026, 6am–10am AEST
Where: 17 participating cafés across Brisbane, handpicked by Brisbane’s Good Food team.
Offer: Sign up in-store for a Premium Digital Subscription for $3 per month for the first three months and show proof of your subscription to café staff to receive a coffee.
Terms: *Offer available only via dedicated QR codes displayed in the participating cafes outlined above, exclusively between 6am – 10am AEST between October 22 to October 25, 2026, and is strictly limited to the first 1,000 redemptions across all cafes. The $3 per month introductory rate represents a discount of 92% off the regular Premium Digital subscription price for the first three months. At the end of the promotional period, the subscription will automatically renew at the regular rate of $9.20 per week for Premium Digital, billed monthly, unless changed or cancelled via My Account or by calling customer service on 13 66 66. Offer includes one standard sized barista-made beverage, with alternative varieties and milks (e.g. Iced, Oat milk) available at the discretion of participating cafes. This offer is subject to change. For full subscription terms and conditions visit brisbanetimes.com.au/conditions
PARTICIPATING CAFÉS ACROSS 17 LOCATIONS
Bellissimo – 30 Wandoo St, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Bellissimo – 12 Cavendish Rd, Coorparoo QLD 4151
Bellissimo – 35 Oxford St, Bulimba QLD 4171
Cafe O-Mai – 15 Cracknell Rd, Annerley QLD 4103
Darvella – Shop 1/37 Oxford St, Bulimba QLD 4171
Farmhouse – 9 Somerset Rd, Kedron QLD 4031
Florence – 54 Martha St, Camp Hill QLD 4152
Goodside – 63 Melbourne St, South Brisbane QLD 4101
John Mills Himself – 40 Charlotte St, Brisbane City QLD 4000
Kimino – 71 Wardell St, Ashgrove QLD 4060
Morning After – Shop 6/57 Vulture St, West End QLD 4101
Riser – 85 Miskin St, Toowong QLD 4066
Salt Coffee Roasters – 50 Commercial Rd, Newstead QLD 4006
Sister – 2/273 Hawthorne Rd, Hawthorne QLD 4171
Sprout – Shop 4/60 Skyring Terrace, Newstead QLD 4006
Yolk CBD – 307 Queen St, Brisbane City QLD 4000
Yolk Newstead – 76 Skyring Terrace, Newstead QLD 4006
Thursday 22 October, 2026
