Starbucks will close all 23 of its La Boulange bakery-cafes, saying the stores "weren't sustainable for the company's long-term growth." The cafes, known for their French-inspired decor and menus, and the pink envelopes that now cup pastries sold at Starbucks stores, are favorite breakfast-lunch spots in the San Francisco Bay Area. Starbucks bought La Boulange in 2012 for $100 million, a bonanza for the San Francisco-based cafe chain. The deal was seen as a strategic move by Starbucks (SBUX) to gain a bigger presence in the food business, particularly as traditional fast-food chains like McDonalds improved their coffee offerings. "After more than 40 years, we will be able to say that we are bakers, too," Howard Schultz, CEO at Starbucks, said at the time. In a statement on its website Tuesday, Starbucks said it would close the locations, as well as the two manufacturing facilities that serve the cafes, by the end of September 2015. The brand will "continue to play a significant role in the future of Starbucks food in stores," and it will keep selling La Boulange food at Starbucks locations, it said. It is also closing the Evolution Fresh retail location in San Francisco. While it was backing away from the stand-alone La Boulange stores, Starbucks stressed that food is still a big deal for the company. Food sales rose 16% year-over-year in its most recent quarter, and sales of its new breakfast sandwiches have contributed to a 35% jump in breakfast sales. Source: usatoday.com