Teen who just finished high school opens cafe – is left heartbroken when no customers show

Many of us know what it’s like to have a dream that doesn’t come to fruition.

Perhaps we thought a scenario would play out in a certain way, or believed that we’d be working in a different industry to the one we do today. Maybe we’d set out sights on a particular romance that, for one reason or another, just didn’t work out.

The fact that things don’t always happen the way we want or hope for is an unfortunate staple of life, and one that a teenager from South Australia recently found out first hand.

After bravely venturing out to open up his own cafe, he was left heartbroken when not a single customer showed up…

According to reports, Tom Oswald is an 18-year-old from South Australia who had ambitions of veering away from the more conventional paths directly after high school.

Considering himself done with education for the time being, Oswald instead chose to take a gamble by way of opening up a small cafe in the town of Handorf, which lies south-east of Adelaide.

By all accounts, the teen put considerable blood, sweat, tears, and money into the venture, resulting in a cozy little establishment that he was looking forward to welcoming patrons to.

Yet Tom was reportedly left devastated when he opened up shop… and didn’t see a single customer. He took to TikTok to share this heartbreaking experience in a video that’s since gone viral.

Tom’s eye-watering confession has racked up more than two million views, while Tom himself earned plenty of online fans quick to offer him support.

“This makes me so sad tell me where this is so I can come please,” one user commented.

“Me checking flights just to come and support this man’s cafe,” another added.

“We’ve got a group coming up to Hahndorf in a couple of weeks – we’ll come in for coffee!” a third said.

Watch Tom’s TikTok here, or below:

@homeboy.co

Still waiting for a customer #sad #adelaide #hahndorf #paintok

♬ original sound – yrn_editzz11

Tom told how he had worked for two years at another cafe to acquire the experience needed to run his own. He admitted there was room for improvement where his coffee making talents were concerned, but insisted he’s continually striving to get better.

“I am 18 years old, straight out of high school, currently in my gap year and this project is literally the only thing I’m ever working on,” the 18-year-old told News Corp.

“I’m either at the shop working or working from the outside, finding ways I can improve the business in any way I can.”