inputs: hypothesis: Starbucks is a US coffee giant. premise: LOS ANGELES (Reuters) — Starbucks Corp Wednesday posted slightly better-than-expected quarterly profit as cost savings helped offset an 8% drop in same-store sales. The coffee chain, which has been slashing costs to compensate for dwindling customer visits, had announced plans to close almost 1,000 stores around the world as the worst recession in decades drove consumers to tighten their belts. During the second quarter, Starbucks (SBUX, Fortune 500) said it cut costs by $120 million, better than its target of $100 million, and that sales at restaurants open at least 13 months declined at a slower pace than the 9% drop recorded in the first quarter.