Starbucks to close 600 stores, tools nationwide to whine about having to drive further for their lattes

MSNBC reports that Starbucks will close 600 stores, eliminate up to 12,000 jobs, and open up fewer than 200 additional stores in its upcoming fiscal year.

Starbucks, known for sometimes going so far as to open stores across the street from one another, has recently acknowledged that it may have lost some of its luster during a long period of rapid store openings and expansion into everything from breakfast sandwiches to movie promotions.

Longtime readers of R#09 will remember that I don't really like Starbucks. Granted, there are few non-coffee drinks that I enjoy. But the drinks aren't the problem. For the most part, I'm a firm believer that Starbucks represents this nation's general stupidity. I hate people who claim to be "addicted" to Starbucks, persisting that if they don't get their daily latte, they will be horrible to be around. Hate to break it to you, but you're horrible either way and you're feebly attempting to justify your $96-a-month habit.

The days of visiting your local Starbucks, finding it too crowded, and crossing the street to your other local Starbucks are over, it seems. It's sad, however, that it took a serious loss of profit for Starbucks CEOs to realize that opening multiple stores in the same damn parking lot wasn't the best idea.