According to Chicago's Technomic Information Services, among the 132 limited-service restaurant chains in the United States, 49 offer soup options on their menus.
That's not to say soup isn't gaining ground in the fast-casual space. With eateries such as Zoup! and Souplantation building their brands based on the offering, soup is gaining in its popularity.
"I think the greatest opportunity for growth is away from the canned kind of stuff into high-quality, wholesome, flavorful soups," said Eric Ersher, co-founder and managing partner of Southfield, Mich.-based Zoup!
Ersher and his partner opened the first Zoup! in 1998 and they now have close to 20 locations.
"Because our soup is our specialty, we put a lot of attention into it," Ersher said. "Before we opened in 1998, we feared the soup perception. We're very careful not to give the perception of soup in a bowl. Our customers seem to appreciate that, and that soup can be a meal in itself."
Ersher said about 75 percent of the company's annual soup sales come from the lunch daypart with dinner and carry-out contributing to the rest.
According to the Mintel Menu Insights report "Soups On!," soup is becoming more important as a lunchtime meal. The report says the average number of hours Americans work has increased two hours annually from 1992 to 2006. "This pressure on time affects all meal preparation, particularly lunchtime, when respondents are most likely to eat soup," the report says.
Going gourmet
Traditional soup has come a long way from flavored broth. Bisques are making their presence known on menus, with 64 bisque menu items reported in the second quarter of 2006 compared with 58 reported in the first quarter of 2005, according to Mintel.
Zoup! has a Mushroom Bisque and Souplantion offers a Classic Shrimp Bisque among its repertoire of more than 100 soups.
Joan Sharff, Souplantation's executive director of brand and menu strategy, said soup has experienced, and continues to experience a resurgence.
"You are finding soups more on fine dining and casual menus because it's a great way to have a filling, satisfying and healthy meal," she said. "I think people's perception of soup has changed as their palates have sophisticated."
Souplantation continues to offer its signature soups — including staple chicken noodle with broth made from scratch, Clam Chowder and chili — but it also is testing varieties that appeal to regional consumers.
According to Mintel, taste is the most important quality in a soup, and consumers are seeking flavors that cross ethnic boundaries.
Noodles and Company offers a Thai Curry Soup; CoCo's Bakery touts a Chicken Tortilla Soup; Atlanta Bread Company has a Pasta Fagioli; and Pick Up Stix offers a Wonton Soup.
Tortilla tops Mintel's list of Top 10 Global Soups, but also making appearances are Minestrone (No. 2), Wonton (No. 3), Egg Drop (No. 6), Gazpacho (No. 8) and French Onion (No. 9).
Sharff said there is more competition entering the soup field, but competitors consist of boutique locations.
"More smaller shops are tending to open and I think that speaks to the popularity of soup as a stand-alone meal," she said.
Ersher said Zoup! offers vegetarian and gluten-free selections in addition to its soups that have a broader appeal. He also said consumer support of the brand and its offerings is continuously encouraging.
"We get a lot of encouraging e-mails every day and it makes sense," he said. "Everyone is so time-starved and one of the things we bring to people is a quality meal quickly. We can provide really healthy choices and people appreciate that."
