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Cousins Subs founder retires; daughter takes over

Bill Specht, founder of Cousins Subs, announced his retirement as CEO after 43 years in the business.

June 5, 2015

Bill Specht, founder of Cousins Subs, announced his retirement as CEO after 43 years in the business. Specht's daughter, Christine Specht-Palmert will assume Specht's responsibilities as president and CEO, and Specht will remain active as chairman of the board.

When Specht and his wife moved from the east coast to Milwaukee in the 1960s, and couldn't find a sub shop in town that lived up to those back home, Specht came up with the idea for a sandwhich shop and approach his cousin, Jim Sheppard.
"We were sitting around the dinner table one night thinking about what to call the shop, when Sandy said, 'How about Cousins?'" Specht said in a press release. "It was perfect. It showed our focus on family, and it was easy to remember."

Specht and Sheppard soon opened their second location on Farwell Avenue and Brady Street, which attracted a lot of business from guests at the nearby lake. The success of this location propelled Specht and Sheppard to keep growing, the press release said.

"We had expansion plans from the very beginning," said Specht. "We hoped to open 10-12 stores in the Milwaukee area. The reality that Cousins now operates more than 110 sub sandwich shops in three states is truly awe-inspiring."

Specht-Palmert, who grew up in the business, visited the stores as a child and worked in them as a teenager. She took the role as human resources manager at the Cousins Subs corporate office in 2001, where she worked her way up within that department until 2008 when she became the president and chief operating officer. Specht-Palmert has created a vision for the next phase in Cousins' 43-year history.  

"I'm excited about the next phase of growth," Specht-Palmert said in the release. "I truly believe in this brand and am committed to continue Making It Better. We have a quality product, and I'm ecstatic for what the future holds."