Cousins Subs - Park & Regent

Ownership

Cousins Subs has remained a privately held, family-owned company since its founding in 1972, with ownership continuing to be controlled by the Specht family. However, the company transitioned to a franchise model in 1985, allowing expansion through independent franchisees, making it a national franchise system rather than independently operated.

Local Sourcing

As a Wisconsin-based company, Cousins Subs has historically sourced products from Wisconsin and Midwest companies, and has formalized partnerships with the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board for cheeses made in-state. The company sources from 12 Wisconsin-based vendors and features locally-sourced items throughout its menu.

Community Involvement

Since 2013, the Make It Better Foundation has donated more than $1 million to nearly 150 nonprofit organizations, and the company has sponsorships with UW Athletics, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Milwaukee Bucks and the Green Bay Packers, demonstrating sustained community investment.

Local Workforce

Employees rate compensation and benefits as 3.4 out of 5, and the company has an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars with 65% of employees recommending it. However, crew members historically made around $8.50 per hour while managers made around $10 per hour, indicating modest wages.

Revenue Retention

As a multi-location regional franchise with corporate headquarters in Wisconsin and significant franchisee operations, revenue is split between corporate and individual franchisees. While family ownership and local sourcing practices suggest some revenue retention, the franchise model and corporate structure mean a substantial portion flows to corporate and corporate suppliers rather than staying entirely local.

Local Presence

The website displays heavy corporate signals including location selector ('Find a store'), franchise boilerplate, franchise ownership portal, corporate careers portal, and parent company references ('Cousins Submarines, Inc.'). No local signals are present—no owner/staff names, Madison references, local suppliers, or personality-driven copy specific to this location.