I have just heard that Starbucks is to close a heap of stores – 61 out of 84 in Australia and 600 in the US.
Starbucks Coffee International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Starbucks Coffee Company today announced plans to restructure its business in Australia …. This decision will result in the closure of 61 locations throughout the country by August 3, 2008.
That’s a pity for the staff that are about to lose their jobs but buggered if I feel sorry for Starbucks. Their coffee is and always has been terrible, I have no idea why anyone would want coffee similar to Starbucks. The same quality as MacDonalds – at least Maccas is cheap.
Last time I went was to the Pacific Fair Starbucks on the Gold Coast – i picked up two flat whites and they looked and tasted like instant coffee – no crema or froth from the milk at all. I asked for another and they said that’s how they make flat whites! What do I do? Well all I could think was to write on one of those customer service cards and post it off, I never got a reply!
Well, Starbucks, maybe if your service and coffee were any good you would still be around, hey.
goldcoaster 
aren’t flat whites supposed to have no crema and froth? hence FLAT white
if you want froth, you get a latte.
Thanks for the comment, anon.
No, all good coffee will have crema – that is just part of the coffee making process – espresso (no milk at all) will still have crema. i touch of froth from the steamed milk is normal as well.
Someone I know who used to work at Starbucks said they would add quite a bit of water to a flat white to make it ‘flatter’…
cost-cutting?
Maybe Starbucks International needed to close places down when the coffee was that bad. In the US, it has to be good or the place won’t last a week. I’ve seen how they make it in several shops and it’s good. I’ve heard it isn’t so good outside the US just about anywhere.
I’ve only bought Starbucks once in Manila and it didn’t taste too good either. I think I’ll stick with Nescafe, made in the Philippines. Cheaper and better. Heck, even the instant was better than what I paid too much for.
Thanks for the comment Richard. Actually I have heard that the Australia Starbucks coffee was better than their US version . If that is true I would hate to have one over there.
Maybe Australians are lucky in having good coffee stores around we don’t need big chain stores.
I guess like Aussie beer is miles better than any US brand I have tried.
fantastic post! I am so looking forward to seeing more posts