The Return of Al's Soup Kitchen International

[Hinterlander]

The NYT blog reports that Al Yeganeh is re-opening the famous Soup Kitchen after a six-year absence. It could happen as soon as next month, which is odd since he always closed for the summer and didn't return until colder weather did.

Al shut things down before to take franchise offers and start a line of supermarket soups. I hope he'll be back with his usual quality. The stand was always one of my favorite lunch options.

[bob gaj]

http://therealsoupman.blogspot.com/20...

al sez: i purchased this tiny shop on April 10 , 1984 & sold it on April 13 , 2010 .....To
Mr.Vinod Chand."

and the picture i saw of the vegetable soup thing didn't look like anything different from the franchises.

ah well. but the press releases, etc. all sure implied al would be there from time to time. obviously, he's not. and as his blog says, he's been gone from this for years, and will not be at ANY grand opening, etc. (see his 2009 post).

[bob gaj]

as a followup...is this the same vinod chand?
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/vinod-chand/17/9b4/4b0

who works with ranch 1?
http://whois.domaintools.com/ranch1ny...

[nooyawka]

Extremely useful link. Thanks, bob. Alas, too good to be true. Not on the order of finding out Santa Claus is not real, but close.

[FattyDumplin]

So did anyone actually try the Soup Man?

[Phil Ogelos]

No soup for you! Or you, or you, or you!
[one T-shirt for you, maybe; but no bread!]

This's gotta be a marketer's dream: location, brand, novelty, and margins you can drive a truck through. I'm not especially optimistic either, but let's see what the jury returns with.

EDIT: Al won't be there for the opening? That speaks volumes.

[ESNY]

Every day it sounds more and more like a rebranding of a failed concept. A real shame.

[Phil Ogelos]

Sorry, ESNY, but I'd rather we say that the concept is still good [Hale & Hearty, anyone? a place that makes money hand over fist!] but the execution in this case is the work of bean-counting dullards.

[ESNY]

Failed concept being the Soup Man franchises, not the idea of a soup based chain

[Phil Ogelos]

Oh, yes, then I agree with you.
[Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips Houses -another cautionary tale for those of us old enough to remember!]

[sugartoof]

Arthur Treachers doesn't seem too cautionary to me.

[Phil Ogelos]

My Cod! A little googling reveals I've got to get out more.
[You've sobered me again, s'toof.]

[sugartoof]

His face is still hanging outside the combo chain stores, which means he's still under contract.

Even if he negotiated no-compete terms in his favor, we have to remember that integrity for product was mostly a myth in the long run. It sounds like a brand relaunch to me.

[nooyawka]

No freakin' way!!!!???? I'm so psyched! I never got to try the original and always regretted it....

[nooyawka]

There's a countdown clock on his site...
http://www.originalsoupman.com/

[Yaxpac]

the soup at the original place was simply fantastic. I am so looking forward to the reopening. I couldn't even eat the franchised version of his soups

[Jerzeegirl]

I agree 100%. I work over on the East Side & when the original place was open, we'd go across town & come back with 2 bag fulls of soup for the office. We'd be gone almost an hour, but that soup was definitely worth it.

[Yaxpac]

i hope the reopening of the new place has his "real" soups like he originally did. It worries me that the website is the same one as the franchises. fingers crossed.

[Hinterlander]

That's a good point. The website countdown promises a free t-shirt on re-opening day. That's not very Al-like.

[nooyawka]

Ugh...you know what? I have a very sick feeling about this. I think it's the corporate company running the show. Which would explain why they would let Al "reopen" after selling his image and agreeing to the franchise. I just don't think the company would do that. Can't, if you think about it. If he actually reopens, his real soup will put all of the franchises to shame, probably put them out of business. Plus it doesn't make any sense - they would have made him sign some sort of a non-compete agreement. Oh well...I won't hold my breath, but time will tell. Just a few more days, according to the website...

[Hinterlander]

Just read that Al won't be there for the opening -- but Reggie Jackson will be. Ugh indeed. Sure looks like this is the franchise people opening in the old location. I'm willing to be surprised, but I have a feeling this is headed for disappointment.

[nooyawka]

http://www.1010wins.com/-Soup-Nazi--B...

Guess our worst fears were realized. I never thought I'd be so disappointed at knowing Reggie showed up at an event...

[ESNY]

Sadly, i'm expecting this to be the same mediocre crap as the Original Soup Man franchises. I hope I'm wrong and he restores the soup to their original quality and taste

-----
Original Soup Man
37 W 48th St, New York, NY 10020

[LeahBaila]

Ditto that.

www.thelunchbelle.com