Sydney - US-based coffee chain Starbucks is to close 61 Australian outlets by the weekend, resulting in the loss of 685 jobs, the company announced in a statement Tuesday.

Twenty-three stores are to remain open in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.

Starbucks, which opened its first Australian coffee shop in 2000, currently has 85 outlets.

Last month Starbucks said it would close 600 company-operated outlets in the US, with the loss of up to 12,000 jobs. It blamed poor real estate decisions and a slumping economy for the closures. (dpa)