Fiesta Mart to Acquire Remaining Minyard Stores

Fiesta Mart LLC will acquire nine Minyard Food Stores and two Sun Fresh Market stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex from Dallas-based RLS Supermarkets LLC, effectively retiring the Minyard chain, which has operated in Texas since 1932.

Fiesta, a specialty grocer known for its international offerings that cater to the diverse communities its stores serve, will now operate 70 locations across Texas. The deal follows Fiesta’s own acquisition by ACON, an international private equity investment firm, in early 2015.

“We are excited to welcome Minyard Food Stores to the Fiesta family,” said Michael Byars, Fiesta's CEO. “This action reinforces the strategic growth plan we put forth early last year. Our entire Fiesta team has worked together to move the brand forward organically, and now through acquisition we continue on our growth plan.”

Byars has personal ties to Minyard, having worked for the company from January 2005 through January 2009, ultimately becoming its CEO and president for more than three years. He joined Fiesta in 2015 and has focused the company on the reinvigoration of its core consumer promise “[t]o provide consumers the freshest-quality products and extensive assortment, at the value they need to celebrate food and family every day.”

Kansas City, Kan.-based Associated Wholesale Grocers will continue supplying the acquired Minyard stores, as will Fiesta’s supplier, Houston-based Grocers Supply Co. The Minyard stores will transition to Fiesta over the next several months. Additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 1972 and based in Houston, Fiesta Mart LLC currently operates 70 stores in the Houston, Austin, and Dallas-Fort Worth markets, serving customers from more than 100 countries of origin.