Black Star Pastry – a popular bakery chain famous for its iconic instagrammable cakes, including the strawberry watermelon cake – has announced it will be closing its three Melbourne stores this weekend.
The company took to instagram to announce the closures, citing “rising costs”, a “tough economic climate” and an “industry-wide staffing shortage.”
The chain has stores in the city, St Kilda and Chadstone.
“For five years, our team have poured their hearts, passion, and creativity into the making of each cake, pastry and coffee served across our stores,” Black Star Pastry said.
“Rising costs, a tough economic climate and an industry-wide staffing shortage have forced us to consolidate our team and we will shift our focus to our original home of Sydney.”
However the Melbourne stores have also been subject to an organised boycott for the past few months after it was revealed it had sacked two workers at the Chadstone store for wearing traditional Palestinian scarves – keffiyehs – to work.
Comments from social media users on the company’s instagram post suggest that the boycott has been successful and that Melburnians have been avoiding the chain as its actions in sacking the two workers would appear that the company supports the genocide of Palestinians.
The Melbourne stores will close on Sunday 18 August. The chain’s Sydney stores will remain open.
