Prince George’s County native Athena Ware Hernandez is opening the latest Original SoupMan location on Wednesday, October 1, 2008, on 6504 America Boulevard in Hyattsville, Maryland. The Original SoupMan features the soups of Al Yeganeh, who inspired the “Soup Episode” on Seinfeld. The Original SoupMan in Hyattsville will be one of only two minority owned and operated franchise locations to open outside of the New York metro area and the first in Maryland.
Since 1984, New Yorkers and tourists alike have waited in line at Yeganeh’s Soup Kitchen International, in all kinds of weather just for a taste of his much-heralded Lobster Bisque and Jambalaya. Hernandez’s Original SoupMan showcases Yeganeh’s 50 varieties of soup as the “centerpiece of the meal,” each presented with a piece of fresh, crusty baguette, fresh fruit, and a piece of imported chocolate–just like Al Yeganeh served it at his original shop. As Yeganeh explains it, this is simply “the way to eat.”
During Hernandez’s grand opening ceremony, one lucky customer will get the chance to win free soup every day for the rest of his life. The Original SoupMan will also donate $1,500 on behalf of Yeganeh’s charity, “Al’s Feed the Hungry Foundation,” to the Capital Area Food Bank. Al’s Feed the Hungry Foundation donates funds to local hunger charities every time a new Original SoupMan location opens. The charity is headed up by Baseball Hall of Fame legend, Reggie Jackson.
