Earlier this year, we shared news of Starbucks’ plan to start serving alcohol, with the hope that the new menu might eventually make its way to Boston. Now, it seems that Starbucks is at it again – diversifying their offerings and building upon an already successful coffee shop empire.

According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Starbucks “is launching a new La Boulange restaurant in Los Angeles that will serve salads, sandwiches and cocktails.”

Many of you have experienced the tasty La Boulange treats in one of the many Boston Starbucks locations. I can attest that while it may look like plastic, the danishes and “savory squares” are actually quite delicious. Starbucks acquired the San Francisco bakery chain back in 2012, according to msn.com, and will open La Boulange restaurant on June 12, 2014 in Los Angeles.

The reason behind Starbucks expansion into “the dinner market” is obvious. The coffee shop is losing to competitors that stay open during the evening such as Panera, “which racks up 22 percent of its sales at dinner,” reports Bloomberg Businessweek.

According to the article, Starbucks’ La Boulange restaurant will be serving up an assortment of sandwiches, salads, and even, croissant burgers. Not to mention, cocktails, beer, and wine – oh my!

We’ll have to wait and see whether the La Boulange restaurant is a success or whether it dilutes the Starbucks brand with negative effects. However if it’s a success, we certainly hope to see a location in Boston’s future. After all, we could use a croissant burger lunch option around here.

Image via La Boulange website