LA's Only La Boulange Suffers Starbucks-Approved Shutdown Tomorrow

Starbucks’ early summer plan to shutter all of their La Boulange retail outlets is just now coming to pass, with the location on La Brea officially closing tomorrow. Others up in the Bay Area have been slowly going dark one by one, starting late last month, according to SF Gate.

Have you driven past that location lately? It’s a bit of a sad sight — everything is still inside and in good working order (and the place is rather attractive, actually), but the pall of death hangs over it all. Hopefully some last minute clean-the-house-out kind of deals bring back some customers to help fill the place out a little bit, at least for one more day.

It’s a tough end for one of San Francisco’s most beloved bakery brands, which received a $100 million buyout back in 2012 from Starbucks, which hoped to use the La Boulange name to bring credibility to their expanded breakfast and quick service lunch options. That didn’t exactly go over well, nor did the full-on retail outlets, like the one on La Brea.

Offering alcohol, morning coffee, sandwiches, and dinner, the expansive spot never really had a chance to thrive, especially considering how quickly Starbucks pulled the plug. Now there’s going to be one empty shell of a formerly lovely restaurant location right on La Brea. Here’s to hoping someone else has a bit more success with the place.