When hope and connectedness are present, anything is possible.

Our founders, Judd and Erica Spector Wishnow met in 2009. At the time, many Americans were still feeling the pain of the Great Recession. Judd and Erica were no different. Prior to meeting, they were both unemployed, feeling lost and wondering how they would get by.

So neither Judd nor Erica were feeling particularly optimistic when a mutual friend introduced them in the summer of 2009. They agreed to meet for lunch at the Palace Diner. And it was during that lunch that everything changed. Their lives would never be the same.

For reasons that neither can completely explain, they left that initial lunch thinking the exact same thing: “While life has been both lonely and scary of late, everything is going to be okay.” Something connected them. And that connection created hope.  

With these values as their guide, Judd and Erica felt reenergized. They worked together for a year, coming up with a plan to acquire a few Dunkin’ locations in the Hudson Valley of New York. No one accomplishes anything completely on their own. Judd and Erica were no different. With the help of Aunt Betsy, they were introduced to a group of friends and family who were willing to support their venture. As a thank you to Aunt Betsy, Judd and Erica named their business “Aunt Betsy’s Dunkin’ Donuts” (ABDD for short).

The rest, as they say, is history.

Judd and Erica transitioned from best friends and business partners to husband and wife. They have been building and buying Dunkin’ and Taco Bell locations over the past decade and have no intention of slowing down. They have also added two children to the family: Their son Harrison and their daughter Harley.

While Judd and Erica are so thankful for everything that has happened since they first met, it has not all been roses. There has been plenty of stress and anxiety. There has even been depression. But time and again, they have found that Hope and Connectedness are what get them through even the most difficult of times.  

With the blessing of Aunt Betsy, Judd and Erica decided to change the name of their company to Southpaw in 2020. Judd happens to be a lefty and is trying to convert Erica into a Southpaw as well. 

However, the name really pays homage to our collective desire as a company to do things differently. While we are in business to generate a profit, we are also passionate about using Southpaw as a platform to provide employees with a sense of connection (to each other and to their communities) and a sense of excitement for their futures. With every new location, Southpaw creates new jobs for people and new opportunities for advancement within the organization.  

We are committed to helping our people grow emotionally, academically, and financially.  And we are creating specific programs to support these objectives. From the CEO down to the newest hire, we fully understand that we are all people. We all have dreams and we all face constant challenges as we try to achieve those dreams. 

More than anything, we want our people to know that they don’t have to do it alone. We want them to remember that at Southpaw, we are “In Your Corner.”