This week, soup lovers in Somerset will get their first taste of Zoup!—the leading fast-casual soup concept with award-winning soups and made-to-order salads and sandwiches.
On Thursday, Zoup! will make its Garden State debut when the newest location opens at 120 Cedar Grove Lane, in the Cedar Grove Centre in Somerset.
“My wife Charmayne and I are honored to open the first Zoup! in New Jersey and we can’t wait to start serving up some award-winning recipes,” says franchise owner Clinton Fleming. “We’ve assembled a great team and we are ready to become an integral part of the Somerset community.”
On August 9, the day before its official grand opening, the Flemings will host a fundraiser at the restaurant for Sweet Reads, an organization that encourages literacy by providing gently used books to children. For a $5 donation, guests will enjoy a bowl of their favorite soup, a big hunk of fresh-baked bread and a small fountain drink, with 100 percent of the proceeds donated to the organization.
“Sweet Reads does wonderful work for children here in Somerset, so we’re very pleased to support them during our pre-opening fundraiser,” says Charmayne. “We’re inviting the entire community to come out and enjoy some delicious soup and help us make a meaningful difference in the lives of the kids and families served by the organization.”
Zoup! features hundreds of award-winning soup recipes with 12 rotating daily varieties, including low-fat, low-cal, vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free options, all served with a hunk of freshly baked bread. Customer favorites include Chicken Potpie, Lobster Bisque and Vegetable Bounty. The menu also features made-to-order salads and sandwiches, and all menu items are available in convenient catering sizes for groups of 10 or more.
To help customers select from the daily soups, sampling is encouraged. And, for those looking to save time, a daily soup menu and online ordering are available. Customers also can sign up online to receive promotional emails.
“We created Zoup! after discovering that really good soup is hard to find,” says Eric Ersher, Zoup!’s founder and CEO. “Also, in talking to people, it became clear that there’s something special about soup and the way it elicits thoughts of family, well-being and comfort for many people. We strive to offer authentic, hand-crafted soups that are as good—and as ‘feel-good’—as the homemade soups our mothers and grandmothers used to make.”
As an established brand throughout the United States and Canada—with more than 100 restaurants in 20 states/provinces—Zoup! is targeting New Jersey as part of an overall expansion strategy. A second New Jersey Zoup! is scheduled to open in Flemington on August 24.
Somerset’s new Zoup! will employ 17 team members and will be open Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The restaurant will be closed on Sundays.
