Publix to Sell Crispers Chain

JON SPRINGER

LAKELAND, Fla. — Publix Super Markets here said Wednesday that it has reached a deal to sell the Crispers restaurant chain to Healthy Food Concepts, an affiliate of the Miami-based investment group Boyne Capital Partners. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Crispers is a fast-casual restaurant chain serving soup, salads and sandwiches with 36 locations in Florida. Publix made an equity investment in Crispers in 2002 and again in 2004, before purchasing it outright in 2007. The chain since encountered struggles, including an embezzlement scandal resulting in a prison sentence for its former chief executive officer.

"This opportunity gives us the ability to continue to be passionately focused on our core business, our customers and the products and services we offer within our grocery retail environment," Ed Crenshaw, chief executive officer of Publix, said in a statement. "While we were able to share best practices with Crispers, we recognized that now was the time to refocus our business priorities."