Jays' new owner makes sweet play.(Chicago Tribune)

Byline: Jim Kirk

CHICAGO _ Tim Healy sees a lot of potential in sweet potatoes.

He ought to, if only for the sake of his marriage. His wife gave him the idea to launch a sweet potato chip, called Sweet Baby Jays, that will hit store shelves under the Jays Krunchers label in early August.

It marks the first new product from Jays Foods in nearly five years. New products aren't always big news. Unless you're talking about Jays, a Chicago snack-food institution that was on death's doorstep only a few months ago.

Healy and equity investor Willis Stein & Partners bought Jays for about $30 million after Jays filed for bankruptcy protection in …