The Original Soupman facts for kids
The Original Soupman Logo
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| Retail, Foodservice, Catering | |
| Founded | 1984 (original) 2005 - 259 W 55th St, New York, New York 10019 |
| Headquarters | Eatontown, New Jersey |
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Number of locations
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1 |
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Area served
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United States |
| Products | Soups |
| Parent | Gallant Brands, Inc. |
The Original Soupman was a well-known chain of soup restaurants. It was started by an Iranian-American soup seller named Ali "Al" Yeganeh. His first restaurant, called Soup Kitchen International, opened in 1984 in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. This place became famous for its delicious soups and also for the very strict rules its owner had for customers.
The original restaurant on 55th Street closed in 2004. Al Yeganeh wanted to make his soups available to more people. This led to the creation of "The Original Soupman" chain. The original 55th Street location reopened in 2010 under the new name, "Original Soup Man."
In 2017, the company faced financial problems and went into bankruptcy. This caused all its stores to close. However, later in 2017, The Original Soupman got new owners. It reopened its first location in late 2018, going back to its old name, The Original Soup Kitchen. Al Yeganeh is no longer involved in the daily running of the business. But he still owns the brand name and creates the soup recipes.
Contents
The Original Soup Kitchen
In 1989, a magazine article described Al Yeganeh's small restaurant. It mentioned how popular the soups were and how much Yeganeh focused on how his customers behaved. Yeganeh once said, "I hate to work with the public. They treat me like a slave." He also famously said, "My philosophy is: The customer is always wrong and I’m always right."
Yeganeh explained his strict rules by saying, "Whoever follows [my rules], I treat very well." He added that his regular customers were "very intelligent and well-educated" and understood he was just trying to keep the line moving. Customers who hesitated or complained would be skipped. People in line would often tell newcomers, "Just don’t talk. Do what he says."
Becoming Famous on TV
Al Yeganeh was the inspiration for a character in a famous episode of the TV show Seinfeld. This episode first aired on November 2, 1995. In the show, the character, named "Yev Kassem," was a very strict soup seller. He made all his customers follow many rules to get a bowl of his popular soups. The actor Larry Thomas played Kassem. He was even nominated for an award for his role in 1996.
After the episode aired, Jerry Seinfeld and some of the show's team visited Soup Kitchen International. The writer Spike Feresten had warned them that Yeganeh was not happy about the attention the show brought him. When Yeganeh recognized Seinfeld, he became very angry. He yelled that the show had "ruined" his business and demanded an apology. Seinfeld gave a sarcastic apology. Yeganeh then kicked them out of the restaurant, shouting a line similar to the famous one from the show.
Soupman Stores and Products
After reopening, "The Original Soup Man" started opening new stores in different cities across the United States and Canada. This included four locations in Manhattan. The soups were made in a large kitchen in Linden, New Jersey. Al Yeganeh allowed the company to use his recipes, name, and image. The stores received about 45 different soup types in large bags. Other food chains also sold these soups. In 2008, the first Original Soup Man store on a college campus opened at the University of South Carolina. This location closed in 2011.
Even though the original location was very strict, the new stores did not have to follow all the same rules. However, Yeganeh did not allow any references to the TV show character by the stores or their staff. He strongly encouraged them to avoid using the show in their advertising. Still, some of his marketing materials did include phrases like "Soup for you!" and mentioned the show on the back of his packaged soups.
In 2015, it was announced that Soupman, Inc. would use the image of actor Larry Thomas (who played the character in Seinfeld) to help promote Yeganeh's soups.
Soups in Grocery Stores
On April 22, 2005, Soup Kitchen International Inc. announced that "heat-n-serve" soups would be sold in grocery stores. These soups were made by SoBe Beverages and overseen by Al Yeganeh. They came in clear, 15-ounce packages. Since May 2005, "The Original Soupman" soups have been sold in over 7,000 grocery stores across 14 states in the United States and Canada.
Company Changes and Reopening
In May 2017, the chief financial officer of The Original Soupman was charged with not paying the company's taxes. Less than two months later, the company went bankrupt. All of its assets, including the rights to Yeganeh's recipes and Larry Thomas's image, were sold to a company called Gallant Brands in September 2017. All the physical stores closed at that time, and the company mainly continued its grocery store sales.
In April 2018, the former financial officer pleaded guilty. He said his actions were meant to keep the company running. Around that time, The Original Soupman was able to sell its soups again in New York City's public school lunch program after changing some recipes. They also expanded sales to delis and supermarkets in the New York City area. Finally, in December 2018, the first physical location after bankruptcy opened as a small kiosk in Times Square. As of August 2025, the company does not have its own website.
