Zoup! Fresh Soup Company Steams Into Grand Rapids

FERNDALE, MI (Saturday, January 01, 2005) - Zoup! Fresh Soup Company – the country’s leading gourmet soup restaurant and carry-out – is opening two new stores in the Grand Rapids area this summer.

The stores, which will be independently owned franchises, represent the company’s first venture outside of the Detroit area. Zoup! currently operates six company-owned stores and one franchise location. It has awarded a total of six franchises.

Zoup! Kentwood – owned by Roger and Sheila Christensen of Rockford – will occupy 2,295 square feet in Kentwood’s Southridge Center at 2950 28th St. (between Radcliff and Breton, one block west of Woodland Mall). The store will have 45 seats with additional seating outdoors.

The Alpine-Comstock Park location at 3770 Alpine Ave. (north of Four Mile Rd.) is owned by Brent and Robin Garrison of Spring Lake. This restaurant will have 75 seats indoors, and a patio that will seat 16 to 24 people. It also will feature a unique, pick-up-only, drive-through window where customers can claim orders they place by telephone or using Zoup!’s online ordering and payment system.

“In bringing Zoup! to Grand Rapids,” says Robin Garrison, “we’re making it possible for the city’s many soup fans to enjoy the kind of high-quality, all-natural soup creations they love to eat, but never have the time to make themselves.”

According to Sheila Christensen, although Grand Rapids currently has no place like Zoup!, many locals fondly remember another, long-gone restaurant that served homemade soup. “Whenever we talk to people about Zoup!, they always lament the closing of a restaurant called the Onion Crock, and tell me how much they’ve longed for a place that serves really good soup.” says Christensen. “It’s thrilling to know that there are so many soup fans out there. And, that we’re going to have the opportunity to ‘wow’ them with Zoup!’s one-of-a-kind soup recipes.”

The new stores will offer 12 always-rotating soup varieties each day, including at least one low-fat, vegetarian, dairy-free and spicy recipe. The menu also will feature made-to-order Good Greens! Salads; grilled Meltz! Panini Sandwiches; value-priced TryTwo! Combos; Custom-Crafted Salads and Paninis; and FruitZoup! Smoothies.

Customers who are looking for extra speed and convenience can use Zoup!’s proprietary online ordering and payment system that also includes a daily email component. Those who logon to zoup.com can do any of the following: 1) find out which daily soups are available at any of Zoup!’s stores, 2) get nutritional information for many menu items, 3) order and pay online and specify at what time they’d like to pick-up their order, 4) request a daily email that features promotions, discounts and links to the daily menu and online order form, and 5) print a menu/order form that can be circulated and faxed back to the store.

Zoup! Fresh Soup Company, LLC was started in 1998 by soup-loving business partners, Eric Ersher and David Elias. Business offices are located at 23231 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, MI 48220, phone (248) 434-4123. More information is available at zoup.com.

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