Starbucks Closing All Standalone La Boulange Bakery Cafés By Fall

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(Gary Stevens)

Back in 2012, Starbucks bought a San Francisco-based bakery chain, La Boulange, to help class up its offerings in the pastry case. While Starbucks will keep the brand for the pastries served in Starbucks cafés, the company has decided to close the 23 standalone La Boulange locactions that have stayed in business since the acquisition.

While Starbucks has expanded its selection of food and increased their profits from sales of pastries, sandwiches, and other breakfast items, the company no longer wants to run the 23 stores that just exist as bakery-cafés. Production facilities that supply those stores will close as well.

“Starbucks has determined La Boulange stores are not sustainable for the company’s long-term growth,” the company explained in a statement. “The La Boulange brand will continue to play a significant role in the future of Starbucks food in stores.” Starbucks calls the addition of the company’s pastries in the U.S. and Canada an “up-leveled food experience,” which sounds like something out of a croissant-themed video game.

There was an adjustment period after Starbucks and La Boulange got hitched: originally, Starbucks switched out their classic pastry case items in favor of a fussier selection from La Boulange, and customers really weren’t into it. Coffee and lemon cakes returned to the pastry case, and the two companies achieved pastry and sandwich harmony.

Starbucks Food Strategy and La Boulange Update [Starbucks](via Bloomberg)

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist