Coffee down
ow, we certainly don't want to gloat, but when it first opened in Balmain we wondered how long Starbucks would last. Not long is the answer - around six years. That makes Balmain the place that has seen off a Starbucks and a Macdonald's. And for those of you who love both, keep going. But give me a place where I know the owner, a place where the profits stay put.
And it's not just Balmain. The New York Times reports they're closing an additional (there were closures a while back) 500 stores and cutting 12,000 staff. All of whom, hopefully, will go on to open cool and comfortable corner cafes. Which serve real coffee rather than frappes. What is a frappe, anyway?
