Today is the day: Art’s & Mary’s Tater Chips are returning, but to which stores?

Last week, Dillons spokeswoman Sheila Lowrie advised that even though customers seem to be shopping more on the weekdays now, Monday is still when stores are the least crowded.

Except for perhaps this Monday, that is.

That’s because Art’s & Mary’s Tater Chips are making their return today.

“You’ll start seeing them in stores,” Jeff Albers said.

He and his brother, Bret, are former owners of the company and are now helping new owner Chuck Singleton — who for the second time bought the company out of bankruptcy — run the business from the Cheney office that had been their headquarters previously.

“We are launching exclusively with Dillons,” Jeff Albers said.

That doesn’t mean other stores won’t eventually get the chips, too.

Albers said he and his brother knew that two things would be critical to relaunching the product: distribution and getting in stores.

Dillons will carry the chips in 62 of its stores across the state.

Albers said he doesn’t know what route drivers will take, so he’s not sure which stores will get the chips on what days.

For distribution, Art’s & Mary’s is teaming with Moundridge-based Mama Lupe’s.

Albers said both companies were excellent to work with and were ideal to help relaunch the brand.

“Both of them were extremely excited and were on board from the beginning.”

The brand is relaunching with four flavors: original flavor, salt and vinegar, no salt and the much-loved jalapeno.

“If I didn’t say that one . . . people might run my family out of the state of Kansas,” Albers said.

“We can add more flavors as we grow this thing again.”

At its peak, Art’s & Mary’s had eight flavors, which included parmesan and garlic, barbecue, salt and pepper and 40% reduced fat.

It’s not clear if or when those flavors will return.

“That’s something we’re still deciding,” Albers said.

“I think salt and pepper has a good chance of coming back and possibly barbecue,” he said. “The other two, the odds are probably not in their favor.”

That’s even though many people have told him they loved the parmesan and garlic chips.

“But we just didn’t see it in the numbers,” Albers said.

“The people that like it really like it, but we just didn’t have the sales in that flavor that we really needed.”

He’s not sure if that meant some people were simply reluctant to try the flavor.

“We couldn’t figure it out,” Albers said. “Anybody that ever tried that chip loved it.”

Albers can’t say what a bag of chips will cost because prices will vary due to various promotions.

Once everything is running smoothly with the Dillons deliveries, Albers said, “Then we will start going out and hitting other stores.”

The focus will remain on grocery stores initially, and then Albers said they’ll turn to convenience stores and other businesses.

Even though they can’t start in all stores, Albers said it’s been a feat to ramp up so quickly and with so many stores and a solid distribution plan.

“I am utterly amazed at how this whole thing has come together.”