Fiesta Mart deal creates largest Hispanic-focused grocery chain

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston-based Fiesta Mart is part of a major deal to become part of the nation's largest Hispanic-focused chain.

On Sunday, Bodega Latina Corporation announced that it would be buying Fiesta Mart and all of its 63 stores, making it a total of 122 stores across California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas.

The retailers said they hope to enhance shopping with improved prices, quality and customer service.

"The acquisition of Fiesta allows us to meaningfully expand into Texas via an established, well known supermarket operator. Through the combination of the strengths of our two organizations, we will be well positioned to significantly accelerate our vision of efficiently offering high quality products at the lowest possible prices. We believe this transaction will be beneficial for all of our stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, employees, and vendors. We look forward to welcoming Fiesta's talented employees and working together to create the premier Hispanic grocery retailer," Carlos Smith, President and CEO of Bodega Latina, said.

"Combining the strengths of Bodega Latina with those of Fiesta will accelerate the evolution and growth of Fiesta through combining the parties' scale, geographic reach, talented teams, and market knowledge. Our team members are excited about becoming part of the Bodega Latina family and continuing to grow the combined company," Sid Keswani, CEO of Fiesta, said.

It's not known yet how much the deal is worth.

It's expected to close later this year.

Fiesta Mart stores won't change their name.