Zoup! Is du jour

For some, soup is an afterthought, a second-stringer in a restaurant's lineup. For Eric Ersher, however, soup is the star, while other offerings play supporting roles.

 

"In a different setting, soup is something you get on the side," said Ersher, managing partner for Zoup! Fresh Soup Company, based in Ferndale, Mich. "For us, it's a meal in a bowl."

 

Serving 12 soups daily, from an arsenal of hundreds of recipes, Zoup has grown to 14 stores in Michigan and Ohio since its inception in 1998. Ersher developed the soup-only idea after determining good soup was hard to come by in smaller restaurant chains.

 

"I saw what (stores) were making and serving, and it was clear that good soup was hard to find," said Ersher, who started first with selling premixed soup blends and then into the development of Zoup.

 

Zoup offers multiple varieties of soup, such as rock shrimp and corn chowder, Sicilian pizza soup, spicy crab and rice soup, and chicken pot pie soup. With each bowl, Zoup gives customers a hunk of bread baked on site. More than 50 percent of Zoup's business is carryout, Ersher said. In addition, Zoup has an online ordering system and a daily Zoup e-mail informing customers of the "soup of the day."

 

Ersher believes that this unique fast-casual set up entices consumers to patronize Zoup over soup-serving restaurants like Applebee's.

 

"The customer is in control of his or her timeline," Ersher said, "as opposed to a more drawn out dining experience at a more traditional concept."

 

With checks ranging between $6 to $9 per person, he acknowledges the need for additional menu items. Selling sandwiches and salads is essential for Zoup's success, said New York City-based restaurant consultant Arlene Spiegel.

 

"Their center of the plate is soup, but it's not enough," she said.

 

To broaden the experience, Zoup also offers soup outside of the stores. CaterZoup offers catering packages, focused primarily on office workers. HomeZoup offers take-home microwaveable soup, ready in four to six minutes, and is available in grocery stores.

 

Zoup's growth strategy is driven by geography, with roots in the upper Midwest, where winters are harsh. The company is working on realistically stepping out of the shadows of the nationwide fast casuals, like Panera, that feature soup prominently.

 

"Panera is really known for, and is great at, bread. And Zoup is known for, and great at, soup," Ersher said. "At the end of the day I think we share many or most customers. No one is going to eat at the same one every day."