Australians love their coffee, with roughly half of the population drinking coffee every day.

This makes coffee the second most popular beverage after water. Coffee ranked far ahead of other beverages like tea, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks.

The findings come from the Australian Bureau of Statistics' National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, which tracks the eating habits of Australians.

For cafe owners there was also good news, with cakes, muffins and scones ranking highly as sources of energy from discretionary sources. Cakes and muffins ranked second behind alcoholic beverages within this category. 

Many Australians abstaining from different foods

While this will be welcomed by cafe owners, there was also a caution for the food industry with 17 per cent of Australians are choosing not to eat certain foods due to cultural or dietary concerns.

Nearly 5 per cent of respondents reported not eating dairy with another 2.5 per cent avoiding gluten. Another 2.1 per cent reported not eating meat of any kind. 

This means that savvy cafe owners must be aware of dietary concerns and provide adequate responses. Failing to offer dairy-free or gluten-free options could cost your business in the long run especially in large, diverse cities like Perth. 

With 13 per cent of those surveyed also reporting being on a diet of some kind, cafe owners need to keep on top of emerging food trends which might boost interest in your services. Understanding what people are eating could make a big difference to your profit margins, especially around new dieting plans.

Cafe owners should also consider their insurance cover and make sure that they are protected against unforeseen circumstances. Keeping your insurance cover comprehensive will ensure that even as Australia's food tastes change, you are never caught out by a situation you cannot control.