Jays negotiating with Snyder's

The Chicago-based maker of Jays potato chips is on the verge of getting a new owner in a deal that will first see the company file for bankruptcy protection for the second time in three years. Jays Foods Inc., which has been struggling financially because of rising production costs and fierce competition from the likes of snack food giant Frito-Lay, is believed to be in talks with Snyder's of Hanover, a privately held Hanover, Pa.-based company known for its hard pretzels in brown packaging, sources familiar with the process told the Tribune.