News

The Soup Kitchen gears up for nationwide expansion

April 5, 2013

With a home-style touch and made-from-scratch cuisine, The Soup Kitchen, a three-unit fast casual concept based in Tennessee, is fast tracking development of its restaurant with a worldwide franchise deal with Beautiful Brands International to market and franchise the concept on a global scale, according to a company press release.

As part of the agreement, BBI will take the lead in marketing The Soup Kitchen brand and selling its franchises. It will concentrate on developing units first in the Midwest before taking the concept worldwide, according to the release. Franchise features include catering capabilities to boost revenue as well as an optional food truck feature that can conveniently service local businesses for lunch and dinner.

"Loyal customers and businesses have made us who we are," said The Soup Kitchen owner/founder, Bob Bardorf. "We've been in this business for over 30 years and have had incredible success because of the way we treat people. It's like when friends and family come to visit your home. That's the same way it is with us. We love to see our guests and make it our passion to offer only the freshest, made to order food to keep them coming back for more."

Founded in 1980, The Soup Kitchen offers healthy choices with a selection of soups, homemade bread, sandwiches, salad plates, drinks and desserts. At least seven soups are served daily from more than 150 chef-inspired recipes and vary day to day. Offerings include items such as Peruvian Shrimp Chowder, Snow Crab, Chicken Pot Pie, Sherried Tomato, and Little Italy as well as homemade mainstays — Hearty Vegetable and Chili. Other menu items include sandwiches made with fresh deli meats, produce, cheeses and homemade breads along with salads.

"Not only is our food welcoming but so is our service," Bardorf said. "That's really what makes us so special. We want our guests to feel at home over a steaming bowl of our savory soup and one of our homemade sandwiches or large specialty salads. Nothing means more to us than our guests coming in for a visit, and I guarantee they won't leave disappointed — or hungry."

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