1543 | Part 3 of 5 | What Café Owners Should Be Nervous About in 2026 - Carol Salloum

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Episode Description

This is Part 3 of a five-part series with Carol Salloum, cofounder of 3Tomatoes and Almond Bar in Sydney, Australia. In Surviving 2025 and 2026 as a Café Owner, we explore how continued volatility is reshaping hospitality.

In this episode, Carol shares what makes her nervous heading into 2026. The risk is not just rising costs. It is café owners who do not understand their numbers, who price based on competition rather than their own financial structure, and who rely on hype instead of loyalty.

We discuss Australia’s saturated café market, why opening a café based on perceived profitability is dangerous, and how pricing must begin with cost structure and demographic awareness. Carol explains the importance of knowing your customer, understanding psychology, and building genuine connection.

The conversation also explores connection as the new form of luxury and why hospitality businesses that cannot create meaningful human experiences will struggle as volatility continues.

Connect with Carol Salloum and 3Tomatoes here:
https://www.instagram.com/3tomatoesau/
https://www.3tomatoescafe.com/