Souper Salad facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Genre | Casual dining |
| Founded | 1978 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Founder | Ray Barshick |
| Headquarters |
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
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Number of locations
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3 (October 2022) |
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Area served
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Southwestern U.S. |
| Products | salads • soup • pasta • bread sticks • desserts |
| Parent | Brix Holdings, LLC |
Souper Salad (which you might see written as Souper!Salad!) is a popular American restaurant chain. It started in 1978 in Houston, Texas. This restaurant is known for its "all-you-can-eat" style, where you can fill your plate as many times as you like! They serve fresh salads, delicious homemade soups, and freshly baked breads. Most of their restaurants are in Texas and other parts of the Southwestern United States. Souper Salad is a privately owned company. As of October 2022, there were 3 locations open.
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The Story of Souper Salad
The very first Souper Salad restaurant opened its doors in 1978. It was started by a person named Ray Barshick in Houston, Texas. Ray first opened more restaurants all over Texas. Then, he started to expand and open locations in the Western United States.
By 2008, Souper Salad had grown quite a bit, with 151 restaurants in 17 different states! However, a big economic downturn, called the Great Recession, made it harder for people to eat out. Because of this, the number of Souper Salad restaurants went down to 80 by the end of 2010.
In 2011, the company faced some tough times and had to close many restaurants. This left 56 locations still open. In 2012, a company called LNC Ventures, owned by Dan and Jackie Hernandez, bought Souper Salad. By 2013, there were 45 locations. Then, in 2014, another company called Brix Holdings, LLC, which is based in Dallas, bought Souper Salad. Dan Hernandez stayed as the president of Souper Salad until 2016.
Where You Can Find Souper Salad
Souper Salad has restaurants in ten cities across Texas. You can also find franchised locations (which are owned by other people but still part of the Souper Salad family) in Arizona and New Mexico.
A special Souper Salad location in Phoenix, Arizona, is built inside what used to be a very modern bank building. This building was designed by an architect named Wenceslao Sarmiento. It was built in 1975 and looked very futuristic! It even has a cool ribbed tower that you can see from the nearby highway. People have called it one of the "10 Coolest Buildings in Metro Phoenix" and an "architectural marvel."
What's on the Menu?
Souper Salad is famous for its "self-serve" salad bar. This means you get to pick all your favorite ingredients and make your own salad! The salad bar can be as long as 45 feet, offering lots of choices.
Every day, they offer four different kinds of soups. You can also enjoy warm breadsticks, a variety of muffins, pizza, baked potatoes, pastas, and even tacos! For dessert, there's fresh fruit, strawberry shortcake, pudding, brownies, and soft-serve ice cream. The menu changes daily and with the seasons, so there's always something new to try.
Souper Salad says their food is made fresh every day right in the restaurant. Since 2007, their food has been free of "trans-fats," which are unhealthy fats. They also have options for people who need gluten-free meals, or who are vegetarian or vegan. During the Lenten season, they sometimes offer seafood options like fish soups, salads, and tacos.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the restaurants changed to a cafeteria-style service to keep everyone safe.
Getting Deals and Discounts
Souper Salad has a special club called the Souper Fresh Club. If you join by giving your email, you can get discount coupons sent to you. You also used to get a coupon for a free meal on your birthday! Later, they changed the program so that you earn "points" when you buy food, which can lead to rewards and a discounted birthday meal.
In 2013, a study looked at many casual dining restaurants. Souper Salad was ranked number one in the buffet category! The study praised the restaurant for how healthy its food was.
See also
- Fresh Choice
- Sweet Tomatoes
