STARBUCKS has confirmed rumours that its Mooloolaba store will close by the end of the month.

The American coffee house had been a feature of The Esplanade for 15 years, having opened in May 2001. Its closure marks the end of Starbucks on the Sunshine Coast, after Noosa and Maroochydore stores closed in 2008.

While it is unknown how many staff will lose their jobs when the Mooloolaba store closes, a staff member said employees were sad and disappointed at the decision.

"I've been here for three years and had no plans on going anywhere," said the staff member, who asked that her real name not be used.

"And now it's time to look for a job."



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"This is how I survive. I've got a family at home to support so it makes things hard, especially when there's a hundred other people looking for work on the Sunshine Coast at the moment."

Finding work when she first moved to the Coast was hard, and took more than a year, the staff member said.

This time she hoped it would be easier.

Starbucks Mooloolaba is closing down. Photo: Warren Lynam / Sunshine Coast Daily Warren Lynam

Starbucks Coffee Australia CEO Chris Garlick said it had been a pleasure to service Mooloolaba customers over the year, and to "be part of the local community".

"With the closure of this store, we are extremely disappointed to be impacting the relationship we have with our loyal Starbucks customers in Mooloolaba and the surrounding region," he said.

"The decision to close this store is a difficult one and one that has been made for commercial reasons as we constantly review the financial viability of all our stores around the country."

Reader poll Is Starbucks out of touch with the Sunshine Coast market? This poll ended on 03 May 2016. Current Results Yes. People are interested in a great coffee, not the rest of the stuff they focus on. 23% No. I love Starbucks. 34% The Sunshine Coast has a unique kind of cafe culture that Starbucks doesn't seem to fit with. 42% This is not a scientific poll. The results reflect only the opinions of those who chose to participate.

Asked whether Starbucks had plans to reopen on the Sunshine Coast, Mr Garlick said: "We certainly hope to be back on the Sunshine Coast in the near future."

Mooloolaba Business and Tourism chair Peter Foran was surprised at the news.



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"Gee, that's disappointing," he said.

"We do have a large number of coffee places in Mooloolaba, but I'm surprised and disappointed to hear that Starbucks is closing, because they had such international recognition, and often people like to seek out the recognisable places because they feel comfortable."