What Is a Milk Bar?

In Australia, a milk bar is a suburban local general store. Similar terms include tuck shops, delicatessens or "delis", and corner shops or corner stores.

Why is it called milk bar?

With time, milk bars began to offer goods typically associated with grocery stores, while, according to Donnelly, the corner shops began to adopt the milkshake and therefore the title “milk bar;” from both ends, the milk bar essentially became a term to refer to a corner shop, akin to a deli or a bodega.

What is a milk bar in Australia?

In Australia, a milk bar is a suburban local general store. ... Milk bars are traditionally a place where people pick up newspapers, and fast-food items like fish and chips and hamburgers, and where people can purchase milkshakes and snacks.