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Starbucks to buy bakery for $100 million to expand offerings

By 박한나

Published : June 5, 2012 - 11:00

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Starbucks Corp., the world’s largest coffee-shop operator, agreed to buy Bay Bread LLC for $100 million in cash, adding to its expanding portfolio of non-coffee businesses.

The acquisition of San Francisco-based Bay Bread and its La Boulange brand will decrease full-year profit by 2 cents a share, the Seattle-based company said in a statement today. The French-themed bakery sells homemade granola, flank steak sandwiches and organic bread, according to its website.

밯e are deeply committed to building a national brand with bakery items, Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz said during a conference call. Starbucks may also sell La Boulange products in grocery stores where it already sells coffee and tea, he said.

Since returning as CEO in 2008, Schultz has introduced Via instant coffee, wrested control of packaged goods distribution from Kraft Foods Inc. and bought a juicemaker to cash in on the health and wellness trend. The purchase of a bakery extends the company’s reach further beyond its coffee-shop roots.

“It will be higher quality food” said Peter Saleh, an analyst at Telsey Advisory Group in New York.  “Starbucks customers are about the quality of the item and are definitely brand-conscious people.”

Starbucks fell 2.2 percent to $52.74 in extended trading. The stock rose 3.4 percent to $53.90 at the close in New York. The shares have gained 17 percent this year.

La Boulange bakery operates 19 retail stores in the San Francisco area and sells its products in restaurants, hotels and grocery stores, according to the statement. Besides selling the bakery’s food in Starbucks cafes, Starbucks will expand La Boulange locations nationwide.

밊ood is a critical component of the core Starbucks business, Chief Financial Officer Troy Alstead said in a telephone interview. Food, including fruit salads, chicken lettuce wraps and blueberry scones, makes up about 19 percent of sales at Starbucks U.S. stores, he said.

The transaction is expected to close in Starbucks fiscal fourth quarter, Alstead said. Pascal Rigo, who opened the first La Boulange store in 1999, will become senior vice president and general manager of La Boulange bakery at Starbucks when the deal is finalized.

The coffee-chain operator will need to explain how much more capital it will deploy as it rolls out Bay Bread products in its stores and expands La Boulange’s network, Saleh said.

Starbucks revenue rose 6.3 percent to $8.04 billion in the U.S. in the year ended Oct. 2. The company’s domestic segment made up 69 percent of revenue last year.

Last year, Starbucks paid $30 million for Evolution Fresh Inc. and has since opened one cafe to sell the flash-pasteurized juice, which it also plans to put in grocery stores. In March, Starbucks said it would sell 60-calorie, green-coffee extract energy drinks called Refreshers. It also owns the Tazo tea and Ethos water brands.

Starbucks has about 17,400 stores worldwide, including more than 10,800 in the U.S. (Bloomberg)

 

<한글 기사>

스타벅스, 제빵사업 뛰어든다

스타벅스가 미국 내 제빵 체인을 인수, 주스 사업에 이어 커피 외 사업부문을 추가로 확대했다.

세계 최대 커피 체인인 스타벅스는 4일(현지시간) 미국 샌프란시스코 소재 제빵 업체인 베이 브레드 LLC와 그 브랜드인 '라 블랑주(La Boulange)'를 현금 1억달러에 매입하기로 합의했다고 발표했다.

베이 브레드는 샌프란시스코 지역에서 '라 블랑주' 매장 19개를 운영 중이며, 다른 레스토랑과 호텔, 식료품점에서도 샌드위치와 유기농 빵 등을 판매하고 있다.

스타벅스는 전국의 자체 매장에서 이들 빵을 판매할 뿐만 아니라 '라 블랑주' 매장을 전국적으로 확대할 계획이다.

하워드 슐츠 최고경영자(CEO)는 전화 회의를 통해 "제빵 부문을 추가함으로써 전국적인 브랜드 구축에 더 힘을 쏟을 수 있게 됐다"고 말했다.

스타벅스 창업자인 슐츠는 지난 2008년 CEO 복귀 후 인스턴트 커피를 도입했으며 지난해에는 캘리포니아의 유기농 주스 생산 업체인 에볼루션 프레시를 인수, 과일주스 전문점 시장에 도전장을 던졌다.

스타벅스는 미국에 1만800개를 포함해 전 세계에 1만7천400개의 매장을 갖고 있다.