Southpaw Acquires Portfolio of 43 Taco Bell Locations in Columbus, Ohio

Marks Entry into One of the Fastest-Growing Cities in the Midwest and Significantly Expands Footprint into an Attractive Region

Brings Total QSR Locations Under Southpaw Ownership to 230+ Across Nine States

GREENWICH, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Southpaw, a leading owner and operator within the Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) sector, today announced that it has acquired a portfolio of 43 established Taco Bell locations in Columbus, Ohio. The addition of this portfolio brings Southpaw’s ownership of Taco Bells to over 185 locations across seven states and, including its Dunkin’ locations, 230+ total restaurants in nine states with total sales of more than $475 million annually. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Southpaw believes that the acquisition of the Columbus portfolio represents a compelling opportunity to expand the geographic reach and scale of its Taco Bell network into one of the Midwest's fastest-growing metropolitan areas. The Columbus portfolio will be overseen by an experienced, Ohio-based leadership team that Southpaw has long wanted to partner with, and Southpaw intends to use this acquisition as a catalyst for additional strategic investment and talent development across functions such as finance, technology, and operations in the region.

“Columbus represents exactly the kind of dynamic, high-growth market where we've seen Taco Bell thrive,” said Judd Wishnow, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Southpaw. “In the QSR industry, it is exceedingly rare to find a brand that is truly firing on all cylinders the way Taco Bell is, characterized by segment dominance, market-leading profits, and breakthrough marketing. Since first establishing our relationship with Taco Bell more than eight years ago, we've come to deeply appreciate what makes this brand exceptional, and we look forward to bringing that same commitment to a new community of customers.”

Southpaw most recently acquired nearly 40 Taco Bell locations in the greater Atlanta market in June 2023 and 16 Taco Bell locations in the greater Shreveport, Louisiana market in 2024.

"This acquisition is a reflection of the culture we have built from the ground up at Southpaw — one that starts at the top and is carried through every level of our organization," said Erica Spector Wishnow, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Southpaw. "Successfully scaling that culture across thousands of employees and hundreds of locations is no small feat, and it is what sets us apart as an operator. We look forward to bringing that same energy and discipline to our new Columbus locations."

About Southpaw

Southpaw was founded in 2009 by Judd Wishnow and Erica Spector Wishnow and is a leading owner and operator of Quick Service Restaurants. Southpaw’s current portfolio is comprised of over 230 total Taco Bell and Dunkin’ restaurants across nine states, with approximately 5,000 employees. The company is focused on actively growing its network of locations through both acquisitions and new store development. For more information, visit https://www.southpaw.co/.