Starbucks has announced that they’ll be removing the La Boulange mini loaves and returning three favorite sliced loaf items. This doesn’t affect all Starbucks because some stores have not yet switched to the La Boulange mini loaves. This is what the La Boulange mini loaf lineup looks like:
Bloomberg.com reports that Starbucks is bringing back the sliced lemon loaf with icing, the sliced banana bread loaf, and sliced pumpkin loaf. None of this is too surprising. Starbucks heard an outcry of complaints on social media sites, as well as MyStarbucksIdea.com complaining that the new mini lemon loaf wasn’t to customers’ liking. (A MyStarbucksIdea.com search will bring up many ideas that relate to the new La Boulange food items. Here’s another lemon loaf MSI idea thread.) Many people missed having frosting on the new La Boulange lemon loaves. When the new La Boulange mini loaves were first introduced, customers could ask for a separate mini tub of either vanilla or lemon frosting. But Starbucks found that few people requested the frosting separately and stopped offering that option.
Earlier this year, in Arizona, Starbucks did a small test of comparing sales of the new lemon loaf with the previous sliced loaf. I can only imagine that the older sliced version sold better.
Interestingly, when the new sliced loaves return to Starbucks, it sounds like it will still be a new La Boulange recipe baked as a loaf and sliced.
I’m not sure what will happen with the other La Boulange mini loaves. I always did like the new La Boulange classic coffee cake. From what I’m hearing, the Classic Coffee Cake, Reduced Fat Berry Coffee Cake and other mini loaves are staying, as far as I know.
More generally speaking, from what I can see, it looks like areas that introduced La Boulange saw some of their food sells increase depending on the item. No doubt, I am always hearing baristas say that they sell many more La Boulange croissants than they did of the previous version of the croissants. Starbucks reported at their annual meeting (March 2014) that they’ve sold more than 10,000,0000 La Boulange chocolate croissants!
On the other hand, many customers didn’t like that the chocolate chip cookie became smaller in size when their stores began selling the La Boulange version chocolate chip cookie. It looks to me like the cookies have gotten larger recently in response to this.
What do you think of the change? Do you have a favorite La Boulange item?
40 Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Socialize
I love the choc croissants!
I’m still confused. Are they really bringing back the old slices or are they simply changing the shape of the new ones? I thought based on the Bloomberg article, they were just changing the shape. I didn’t find the chocolate croissant to be that fabulous (and I’ve heard people raving about it). I was a die-hard marble pound cake lover and while it’s not the same, my new fav is the marble loaf. It’s not as buttery as the old pound cake, but the mini chocolate chips, especially when warmed, are amazing.
@SnowWhite – The way I understand it, the recipe will NOT be the old recipe. It will be a La Boulange recipe (maybe modified a bit??) with a frosting in the old shape.
So far we’ve only received communication that the pumpkin loaf, banana loaf, and iced lemon loaf will be replacing the mini loaves. We’re still selling the classic coffee cake loaf, and we haven’t heard that will be changing. I’ve also heard basically the same recipes, but I’ve noticed they are thicker and even yummier! Only one to find out if it’s the same delicious recipe, buy one and taste it!
I don’t eat bread stuff anymore but when I did the chocolate swirl mini loaf was my FAVORITE! I miss it a bit but knowing it’s TOTALLY going away makes it a bit more sad 🙁 I did like the sliced breads but that chocolate swirl was just super delicious when heated up <3
My store has only gotten the new banana nut loaf so far, but it looks a lot like the old loaf (with the large chunks of nut rather than the smaller bits in the mini loaves). The new sliced loaves are La Boulange-branded products, but from what I can tell (especially given signage that reads, “Your Favorites are Back!”), they have more in common with the old Stsrbucks-branded loaves than the La Boulange mini-loaves. And like @Mary Ann said, so far all indications point toward the other three mini-loaves (both coffee cakes & the marble loaf) sticking around!
@Melody, you’re correct about the chocolate chip cookie – it definitely got bigger a couple months ago!
I think they dropped the ball when the introduced the new loafs. My hubby & my son both love the old lemon loaf slice. I know for my son his favorite part was the frosting. I had no idea you could get a cup of frosting on the side since visually the new loaf was such a turn off we never tried it. Maybe they should have had a sign letting people know & maybe they would have been more receptive? Not sure my son would have been interested even if we knew. Honestly I haven’t cared for the selection of the pastries for some time now & the new selection has just made it even more so. I did try a chocolate croissant, but I like it cold & was very unhappy to be told that I “had to” have it heated. I didn’t like the chocolate ozzing all over while I ate it in the car. That was my first & last La Boulange pastry. I am still mourning the loss of the baguettes & Raspberry scone from long ago. I’m happy to just skip the pastries now, Starbucks loss.
Miss the oatmeal raisin cookie, also all items seem “downsized.”
As long as the pumpkin bread tastes the same as before (or even yummier), I don’t care who makes it. If it tastes like the current pumpkin mini-loaf, but in a slice form, then people will be very angry. What about the chocolate cinnamon bread? Does this mean that when it’s in season (whenever that is) we’ll all be getting it?
Yesterday, the Banana Nut slices showed up at the store I go to. After talking to the SM, my understanding is that it is the same exact La Boulange recipe as the mini loaves they are replacing. They are just baking larger loaves and slicing them. I don’t dislike the La Boulange Lemon Loaf, but I’m interested in tasting a sliced version with icing on it as a replacement. I’m also interested in seeing the new complaints start coming in over these changes.
@Carol – I asked about the Chocolate Cinnamon bread and if it would return. The SM told me as a seasonal item, that will be something we may have to wait and see. Just remember that it will be La Boulange’s version and not the one many of us have come to love.
I’m interested in seeing the complaints as well. So far, there haven’t been any. People either think they are the same as before, or as posted above, thicker and yummier. Did you try the Banana Nut Slice? Did it taste like the current banana mini-loaf?
I always look at the pastries & never want any of them. Prices went up & size went down. Would love if they bring back the Pumpkin Scone.
I previously worked there and am addicted to their stuff. However I tried the new berry cake bar whatever, because they no longer had the triple berry cake.
Bleh.
Just bleh.
I was lucky they had pumpkin loaf though, that made me happy.
Overall, I am not a fan of the new pastries and the new breakfast sandwiches. I do like the spinach squares though and get them off and on. I think that if they are not using the old recipe for the lemon loaf, then so many customers will be disappointed and isn’t SB playing a game? I really liked the lemon loaf and remember those m+m cookies! They should bring those cookies back!
@Purple1 – I’d nearly forgotten about the M & M cookies. Those were good. They had a different name, since M & M is a trademark, they can’t be called that. I’d like to see those come back. As to the lemon loaf, a huge part of the complaints involved that the new lemon loaf had no icing. I think lots of people will like it as a sliced bread with icing.
I’m hoping they get it all figured out by the time they bring La Boulange here. Sounds like some interesting adjustments are being made and I’ll be interested to see what it all looks like someday.
My favorite are the flourless chocolate cookies.
If they really did change the shape only of the loaves but not the recipe to the older style, than they are ridiculous! That can’t really be true, right??
I’m not sure when the chocolate chunk brownies came in, but they are absolutely my fav sweet item at SB- I don;t even get them heated up and they are quite delish. Second fav is the flourless choc cookie- pretty tasty, too! 🙂
I ordered the new Banana Nut today and I thought it was very good!
Okay, let’s set the record straight–my store (for now) has BOTH the LB miniature banana pecan walnut loaf cake and the sliced “banana nut bread” (as it is called on the sign and the POS).
They are DEFINITELY NOT THE SAME.
The sliced banana nut bread tastes of ripe banana, clove, fragrant cinnamon, and is rich and moist. The LB loaf cake, tried side-by-side, tastes like flour and baking powder. I kid you not.
I don’t know what the heck they were thinking with La Boulange. I agree some of the new items such as the croissant offerings are an improvement, but going from selling three cases (six slices in each) of lemon loaf a day to three mini lemon loaves a day was an early indicator of what lie ahead.
In my opinion, the greatest benefit from the introduction of La Boulange was the transitioning of all stores to being “frozen” stores. This allows much more flexibility in ordering/pulling on demand to allow for unexpected sales volume.
Good to hear Chgo. So do you think they just poured the banana mini-loaf batter into a larger pan? Or do you think it’s a different recipe?
Its hard to say. I know many people feel that the mini loaves are drier than their predecessor. I found the sliced banana loaf I had today to be quite moist. I refused to have it heated and took it to go. It was a bit shorter than the old sliced version, but it was thicker. The best opinion will be your own. 😉
Luckily my area Starbucks still have the original version of the lemon loaf pound cake (which has been a favorite of mine for years). Now I’m curious about the new La Boulange version. As long as it tastes good (even if slightly different), I’ll be okay with it. 🙂
Thanks, Chgo. Hopefully, I’ll be able to buy a slice tomorrow. My husband just had the banana mini-loaf last weekend, so he will be the best judge.
Crema-the-crop, thank you for setting the record straight. I didn’t see your post before. It’s good to know they’re not just “changing the shape”. That would be really insulting to the customer.
@Carol & Crema – The SM at the store I go to told me they are indeed the same. The only difference (supposedly) is that the mini’s are sold whole, while the banana bread is made in larger pans and sliced. There are no longer mini loaf versions of the banana nut sold side by side with a sliced bread version at the store I frequent. @Crema – I don’t want to make a mistake by guessing what you are saying, so I will ask just to be clear. You do know that La Boulange is making the the sliced banana nut bread – right? They didn’t go back to the old recipe or vendor. This is why I said I couldn’t wait to see the feedback or complaints.
Crema didn’t say that they went back to the old recipe or vendor, just that the two recipes are not the same.
I think we all would benefit from more information, as I was told something different in regards to whether it is the same or not. I don’t know anything concrete other than what the Sm told me. I wasn’t sure what to make of what crema meant by saying “I don’t know what the heck they were thinking with La Boulange.” That left me wondering what crema meant about the new version versus the mini loaf and who is making them. The most important thing I guess, was how it tasted. I liked it.
I don’t know if it’s entirely possible to know whether the recipe is the same or not. The pastries will *all* be produced as La Boulange recipes, but that doesn’t mean they won’t go through recipe changes. Stores do not have recipes – at most, they have an ingredients list, so could only confirm whether or not the two loaves have the same ingredients, not whether the proportions of said ingredients are the same.
Even with the same recipe, it’s possible for a larger loaf cut into slices to taste different than a mini loaf.
My city is launching La Boulange either shortly before or shortly after Christmas this year, so I’m insanely curious as to what changes the pastries will have gone through by then 🙂
Okay, my husband is eating a slice right now. Right off the bat, I could see that it COULD be the mini-loaf recipe, because it has pecans in addition to the walnuts. Tim says that it’s possible that it’s the mini-loaf recipe, but if so, it is definitely moister in this form. And he said that wouldn’t be just because I didn’t have it heated. Now I’m wondering if the pumpkin bread will have a cream cheese swirl in it. By the way, those cookies seem to be bigger every time I visit. 🙂
My store in Dallas launched La Boulange March 18th. We currently carry three mini loaves: classic coffee cake, RF very berry, and chocolate marble. We also still carry the old “loaf slices” of pumpkin bread, banana walnut bread, and iced lemon loaf. I’m very happy that when we launched La Boulange we got to keep the old slice loaf cakes! So delicious. I’m excited for the return of an old favorite loaf slices in a couple of weeks!
I’ve been having the old banana nut bread for about five years. The new banana bread had me convinced they got my order wrong and gave me some sort of spice cake. It was indeed the new banana bread and it sucks.
I had the new lemon loaf today and it is absolutely no competition in comparison to the old. It has no tooth and tastes like mushy boxed Duncan Hines lemon cake mix in loaf form. R.I.P. old lemon loaf recipe. You were really good and you will be missed.
This is really upsetting!! For awhile my husband would stop & get me the Lemon Loaf I love & he would hand me the little bag & inside was a small loaf, & he said when he ordered it they never said anything about it being different! Now they say they have brought the sliced loaf back…well it’s sliced with the frosting but it’s definitely not the same recipe!! To me, it’s not even near the same!!
The La Boulange lemon loaf and banana bread are really disappointing. They taste like they are made with a cake mix. They definitely are not ‘loaf’ breads anymore. The first time I had the La Boulange banana bread I thought they had given some kind of spice cake instead. But after trying the banana bread a second time I realized they had changed the recipe. Why in the world would you change the best banana bread ever? People search for the recipe on the web all the time. I know I will no longer purchasing these items at Starbucks.
I always LOVED the marble loaf slices. Then they disappeared locally (Nashville,TN). I was very, very disappointed but hey, I started saving more money, LOL. THEN I discovered that some Starbucks still had the marble loaf! Huh? There’s one right off of Interstate I-40 in Jackson, TN that still has the marble loaf slices. So I guess somebody decides what they want to sell, I don’t know if it is by store, area, manager, region, etc. etc. but I hope the marble loaf slices are not gone forever. I bought a marble loaf “cake loaf” today and it is just not the same thing.
I am extremely disappointed in he new Starbucks pastries. I used to work for Starbucks for about a year back in 2000, and I absolutely loved it! It was a great job with good benefits and I met many nice people. I loved opening the store at 4:30am to set out all the delicious pastries from Link. Everything was fresh, tasty and aesthetically pleasing. We sold out of certain items within the first hour of opening! I especially miss the cranberry orange muffin, pumpkin scones, the big hunk of classic coffee cake, chocolate caramel brownies and those huge cookies! I must say that Starbucks made a big mistake changing their pastries! Starbucks has definitely gone way down in quality of their food products and I personally do not buy any food or pastry items from them anymore. Starbucks, I’m begging you, go back to the original pastries from Link so long ago! Those were the days…
Signed,
Disappointed Starbucks Patron
You need to file this complaint on the official Starbucks site otherwise they don’t know that people are unhappy with the La Boulange loaf breads. You can find the contact form in the Customer Service area of the website. I contacted them and they responded as follows:
‘I’m really sorry to hear about your disappointment with our La Boulange Lemon Loaf and Banana Loaf. I completely understand how disappointing it is when an item you like is replaced with something new. Please know that I will forward your comments on to the La Boulange team for their attention and review. We are constantly looking for ways to improve our products and services, so we appreciate the time you have taken to share your feedback.
I am devastated the are discontinuing the marble loaf. Sucks!!!!!