Starbucks closes 3/4s of it's stores in Aus

**Papewaio** · 07-30-2008, 04:19

Starbucks closes 61 shops, cuts 700 jobs

ALMOST 700 employees of the coffee chain Starbucks will lose their jobs on Sunday after the company yesterday announced the closure of 61 of its 84 Australian stores.

Starbucks employees were told of the closures during 28 meetings around the country. They were given little more than 24 hours' notice to attend and were not told the reason for the meetings.

The American company admitted it had struggled in Australia's "very sophisticated coffee culture" and said the announcement was unrelated to its closure of 600 stores in the US this month.

I'm on projects and doing study at the moment, so coffee is my lifeblood. I'm sure mossies that suck my blood will get a rush.

Looks like the time of the over-priced coffee is coming to an end in Aus. Similar reports have come out that other over-priced chains are taking it hard. While the mum & pop local coffee stores are humming along fine and the smaller retail chains also good.

I can get a really great quad shot for $3.90 Aus.

I will miss getting a triple shot mint mocha, hold the cream for $6 from starbucks... they are like hot choc-mint shots of adrenaline.

**PanzerJaeger** · 07-30-2008, 04:37

Starbucks is a complete luxury, so it is especially effected during economic downturns. The massive over expansion didn't help either.

**LittleGrizzly** · 07-30-2008, 05:08

Never understood you coffee drinking people, coca cola is where the tasty caffiene's at....

I always find it quite harsh when employees get very short notice, hopefully they where mainly kids just getting money for social activities...

**Gaius Scribonius Curio** · 07-30-2008, 05:14

And to think it never even reached us here in Perth!!!

That said I was in Melbourne recently. Being coffee addicts, me and my friend went everywhere searching for the perfect coffee. We were very underwhelmed by Starbucks.

If you're in Melbourne and looking for coffee, my friend recommends Lorca's, and I recommend Five. They're right next-door to each other (conveniance!) down DeGraves St (I think, its basically a sidestreet that is opposite Flinders St Station, walk down it and eventually you will find the two of them, among the hundreds of other coffee shops in that square mile!!!).