Capitol City Produce Co., LLC, Baton Rouge, La., announced plans to acquire Table Fresh Foods’ distribution operations, effective Dec. 30. 

"Table Fresh has a tremendous customer base that they have nurtured carefully, and we want to continue that. We see tremendous opportunity to build upon those relationships with our expanded line of produce, specialty produce, local produce, local dairy and a new line of premium chocolates and bakery products. With our recent 51,000-square-foot expansion, we have the capacity to service our new family of customers easily and efficiently. It's the right time and right opportunity to truly be helpful to our customers—something we are really thrilled about," says Darin Arceneaux, chief operating officer of Capitol City Produce.

As a result, Mike Doss, who has a key leadership role at Table Fresh Foods, Baton Rouge, La., will join Capitol City Produce to lead the specialty foods initiatives and continue working with new customers.

Capital Produce expanded its Baton Rouge facility from 39,000 to 90,000 square feet, and implemented new enterprise-wide software technology that allows customers to conduct business more conveniently. The company also earned a Safe Quality Food (SQF) Level 3 food safety certification, making it what is said to be the only produce distributor in a 4-state area to service customers at such a high standard for food safety. 

Table Fresh Foods' business is comprised of two lines of business—a prepared foods commissary and a distribution business. 

"The operational expertise and capital needs of these two lines of business are quite different," says Emile Breaux, manager of Apple Core Foods, owner of Table Fresh Foods. "This agreement with Capitol City Produce will allow Table Fresh to now focus exclusively on its commissary operations. We are pleased to have found a partner that our customers can rely upon for a broad range of quality products and that shares our commitment to quality and customer service. The recent growth of Capitol City Produce also provides our distribution employees with career path opportunities."