 The Original Soupman Logo | |
| Company type | Retail, Foodservice, Catering |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1984 (original) 2005 - 259 W 55th St, New York, New York 10019 |
| Headquarters | Eatontown, New Jersey |
Number of locations | 1 |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Soups |
| Parent | Gallant Brands, Inc. |
The Original Soupman was a chain of soup restaurants originally run by Iranian-American soup vendor Ali "Al" Yeganeh (Persian: علي یگانه), modeled after Yeganeh's original restaurant Soup Kitchen International, which was a well-known soup restaurant at 259-A West 55th Street (between Broadway and 8th Avenue), in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The restaurant was known for its strict rules amongst its customers.[1]
The 55th Street location, which began operating in 1984, was closed in 2004, with the windows soaped over.[2] Yeganeh kept the lease on the shop while he looked to expand into a broader market. This led to the formation of the Original Soup Man chain and eventually led to the reopening of the Soup Kitchen International location in 2010 under the name "Original Soup Man", like all of Yeganeh's other restaurants.[2]
In 2017, the chief financial officer of The Original Soupman was indicted for income tax evasion, and the chain went into bankruptcy, which led to all of its stores being closed. Later in 2017, the chain emerged from bankruptcy under new ownership, and it re-opened in the original location in late 2018, going by its former name The Original Soup Kitchen. Although Yeganeh is not involved with the day-to-day operations anymore, he still owns the brand name and is in charge of the soup recipes.[3]
- ^ "Zagat site". Archived from the original on March 20, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
- ^ a b Naziri, Jessica (July 19, 2010). "Real-life 'Soup Nazi' reopening famed shop". CNN. Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
- ^ "Soup for you! Seinfeld's "Soup Nazi" reopens in NYC". Reuters. July 20, 2010.