Page 11 - BusinessWest May 12, 2025

“On College
Southwick >>Continued from page 9
Highway ...
there’s a house,
a business, a
house, a house,
a business, a
business, a house
— there’s no
cohesion. Having
strategic zones
will really help
the town grow the
way it needs to
grow, the way the
residents want to
see it grow.”
that he became inspired to try to replicate it in the 413.
“They had a very unique bread, and I tried for years to duplicate
their bread, and I came nowhere near it,” he told BusinessWest,
adding that he came up with something else, something he believes
is even better — Kettlebread.
As noted earlier, he and small group of partners introduced the
concept near the height of the pandemic in a long vacant former
karate studio on College Highway. Using mostly curbside service,
the new deli and its offerings built a following, and today, the loca-
tion is thriving, especially at lunch time.
Grimaldi and his partners expanded with a second location in
Westfield, which also serves as the bakery. And the long-term plan
is to create franchises, said Grimaldi, adding that the first step in
that process was to create that central bakery.
“Franchising is still the ultimate goal, but right now, I want to
stabilize my own operation,” he said. “So much has changed over
the past couple of years — labor costs, food costs ... it’s a more chal-
lenging environment in many ways.”
As for the Southwick deli, Grimaldi said he fell in love with that
location early on, noting that it is close to where Routes 10-202
and Route 57 form a ‘T.’ There are several other eateries and gath-
ering spots in that general location including Tucker’s restaurant,
the Summer House, the Southwick Inn, another institution, and
Shane Smith
shows off the
display case at
Mrs. Murphy’s
Donuts, a
Southwick
institution
approaching its
50th birthday.
Staff Photo
They come in dozens of varieties, including many classics, but
also several ‘specialty’ offerings including ‘maple bacon,’ ‘thin mint,’
Mrs. Murphy’s, which also found a way to persevere through the
‘chocolate crème crumble,’ and ‘strawberry shortcake.’
pandemic.
When asked what the business has planned for its 50th anni-
That was with a drive-through, which remained how business
versary, Smith said she hadn’t given that much thought — she and
was done until January of 2024, when the front doors were once
her family are busy enough with the day-to-day — but would in the
again opened to a large and thoroughly loyal customer base that
months to come.
includes Southwick residents, of course, but also many from neigh-
“We’re just going to keep on doing what we’re doing,” she said,
boring communities on both sides of the border with Connecticut.
adding that this is one Southwick tradition that will endure.
This customer base is treated to hand-cut donuts (a rarity in this
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business; most are now cut by machine) as well as pastries, break-
Southwick
fast sandwiches, and coffee. But it’s the donuts that make this an
Continued on page 30 >>
institution.
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ledgesgc.com | (413) 532-2307
ledgesgc.com | (413) 532-2307
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MAY 12, 2025
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