Interstate Bakeries Buys Bread Firm

Kansas City, Mo.-based Interstate Bakeries Corp. said it bought the San Francisco French Bread Co. from Rosemont, Ill.-based Specialty Foods Corp. for an undisclosed amount. San Francisco French Bread, which has annual sales of about $100 million, makes the Parisian, Columbo and Toscana sourdough breads and rolls sold in California. Interstate, the maker of Wonder breads and Hostess Twinkies, said it intends to distribute the sourdough products over a larger region. “It’s kind of a unique product and it may take us some time,” said Ray Sandy Sutton, an Interstate spokesman. Specialty Foods, a holding company for cheese, prepared-meat and baked-goods companies, has been shedding assets to focus on a few of its businesses and pay off debt.