The Original Soupman
A New York soup-restaurant and packaged-food brand founded around Ali Yeganeh's Soup Kitchen International and later expanded through franchising and retail distribution.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Original Soupman is a New York soup-restaurant and packaged-food brand rooted in Soup Kitchen International, a small establishment opened by Iranian-American soup vendor Ali "Al" Yeganeh at 259-A West 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan in 1984. The original restaurant became known not only for its soups but also for Yeganeh's highly controlled service style. Customers were expected to follow a strict ordering routine, move quickly, and avoid behavior that slowed the line. The restaurant's unusual atmosphere attracted local attention and was profiled in The New Yorker in 1989. The brand achieved much wider cultural recognition after the 1995 Seinfeld episode "The Soup Nazi." The episode's fictional character, Yev Kassem, was inspired by public accounts of Yeganeh and portrayed as an authoritarian soup seller whose customers had to obey exact rules. Although the episode created powerful name recognition, Yeganeh disliked the attention and the association with the fictional "Soup Nazi" label. The original West 55th Street restaurant closed in 2004, although Yeganeh retained the lease while pursuing a broader commercial strategy. That expansion led to the formation of The Original Soupman chain. Yeganeh licensed the brand, recipes, and likeness to the company, which developed restaurants, franchise arrangements, and packaged soup products. Franchisees operated in several American and Canadian cities, including multiple Manhattan locations, while soups were produced in an industrial kitchen in Linden, New Jersey. The business offered a rotating selection of approximately 45 soups supplied to franchisees in large food-service bags. Some other restaurant chains, including Ranch One and Cold Stone Creamery, also participated in arrangements involving the soups. In 2008, the company opened a franchise at the University of South Carolina's Russell House University Union, representing an effort to place the concept in institutional and campus food service. The brand also entered grocery retail. In 2005, Soup Kitchen International, The Original Soupman, and Yeganeh announced a line of refrigerated or heat-and-serve soups. The initial retail range consisted of five varieties in 15-ounce packages, produced by SoBe Beverages under Yeganeh's supervision. The products were subsequently distributed through thousands of grocery stores in the United States and Canada. The company attempted to manage the tension between its real restaurant identity and its television-derived reputation: franchise staff were discouraged from using the "Soup Nazi" reference, while packaged-product marketing nevertheless used phrases associated with the show. The company suffered a major financial and legal crisis in 2017. Its chief financial officer, Robert Bertrand, was charged with federal tax offenses involving unpaid payroll-related and federal taxes dating back to 2010. The chain filed for bankruptcy later that year, and its assets—including licenses connected with Yeganeh and actor Larry Thomas's promotional likeness—were sold to Gallant Brands, led by Joseph Hagan. The bankruptcy resulted in the closure of the physical restaurants and the loss of important customers, while grocery sales continued. The brand subsequently attempted a limited revival. The original location reopened under the name The Original Soup Kitchen in late 2018, and the post-bankruptcy business returned to New York City public-school food service after modifying recipes. It also expanded sales through delis and supermarkets in the New York area and opened a Times Square kiosk in December 2018. Yeganeh was no longer responsible for day-to-day operations, but the supplied reference states that he continued to own the brand name and oversee the recipes. The available material does not establish the brand's present store network, ownership arrangements, or operating status.
History
The Original Soupman developed from Soup Kitchen International, a small soup restaurant founded by Ali "Al" Yeganeh at 259-A West 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan. The location began operating in 1984 and became notable for both the quality and variety of its soups and Yeganeh's unusually strict approach to counter service. Customers were expected to know their orders, follow the restaurant's procedure, and keep the line moving. This operating style was described in a 1989 New Yorker profile, which presented Yeganeh as intensely focused on controlling the customer experience despite his dislike of working with the public. The restaurant's reputation expanded beyond New York after the 1995 Seinfeld episode "The Soup Nazi." The fictional vendor Yev Kassem drew on the public image of Yeganeh, although the television character was not a literal representation of the business. The episode turned the restaurant into a destination and made the phrase "No soup for you!" part of popular culture. Yeganeh reportedly resented the publicity and the association with the word "Nazi." A later account described Seinfeld and members of the show's production team visiting the restaurant after the episode aired and being expelled following a confrontation. Soup Kitchen International's original storefront closed in 2004, but Yeganeh maintained the lease while exploring a larger business model. The resulting company, The Original Soupman, used licensed recipes, branding, and Yeganeh's likeness to supply franchised restaurants and institutional customers. The business developed an industrial production kitchen in Linden, New Jersey and supplied franchisees with large bags of rotating soup varieties. Restaurants operated in multiple American and Canadian markets, including several Manhattan sites. The company also pursued nontraditional placements, including a university food-service location opened at the University of South Carolina in 2008. Retail grocery became another important channel. In 2005, the company announced a line of heat-and-serve soups produced by SoBe Beverages and supervised by Yeganeh. The products were sold in 15-ounce packages and eventually reached thousands of stores across the United States and Canada. The company's marketing had to balance the advantages and disadvantages of the Seinfeld association. Franchisees were instructed not to use the "Soup Nazi" label in ordinary operations, while some packaged-product materials used related catchphrases or references to the program. In 2015, Soupman, Inc. licensed Larry Thomas's image to promote the soups, formalizing a connection that Yeganeh had previously treated with hostility. The business entered a severe crisis in 2017. CFO Robert Bertrand was indicted for income-tax evasion involving unpaid payroll-related and federal taxes dating back to 2010. The company filed for bankruptcy less than two months later. A bankruptcy sale transferred the company's assets, including licenses associated with Yeganeh and Larry Thomas's promotional image, to Gallant Brands, led by Joseph Hagan. The physical restaurant network closed, major customers were lost, and grocery distribution became the principal continuing activity. Bertrand later pleaded guilty and received a nine-month prison sentence. The post-bankruptcy business attempted to rebuild through institutional and retail channels. It re-entered New York City's public-school lunch program after changing some recipes, expanded sales through local delis and supermarkets, and opened a Times Square kiosk in December 2018. The original West 55th Street site also reopened in late 2018 under the former-style name The Original Soup Kitchen. At that stage Yeganeh was no longer involved in daily operations, but the available reference states that he retained the brand name and control over the recipes. Current ownership, store count, website, and operating status are not established in the supplied material.
- 2018
Post-bankruptcy restaurant revival
[1]The brand returns to New York school food service, reopens the original site under The Original Soup Kitchen name, and opens a Times Square kiosk.
- 2017
Bankruptcy and asset sale
[1]Following tax charges involving its CFO, the chain enters bankruptcy and sells its assets to Gallant Brands.
- 2015
Larry Thomas likeness is licensed for marketing
[1]Soupman, Inc. announces a promotional license involving the actor associated with Seinfeld's fictional soup vendor.
- 2010
Original location reopens under the Original Soup Man name
[1]The former Soup Kitchen International location reopens using the chain's newer brand identity.
- 2008
University of South Carolina franchise opens
[1]The Original Soupman opens a franchise in the Russell House University Union.
- 2005
Packaged soup line launches
[1]The brand introduces heat-and-serve soups for grocery distribution in the United States and Canada.
- 2004
Original West 55th Street restaurant closes
[1]The storefront closes while Yeganeh retains the lease and pursues broader brand expansion.
- 1995
Seinfeld airs "The Soup Nazi"
[1]The episode introduces a fictional soup vendor inspired by Yeganeh and makes the restaurant internationally recognizable through popular culture.
- 1989
The restaurant receives national profile coverage
[1]A New Yorker profile documents the restaurant's popularity and Yeganeh's strict rules for customer behavior.
- 1984
Soup Kitchen International opens in Manhattan
[1]Ali Yeganeh begins operating the original soup restaurant on West 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan.
Products and positioning
A specialty soup concept built around distinctive recipes, fast counter service, a theatrical founder persona, and cultural recognition from Seinfeld, later extended into franchised restaurants and packaged grocery products.
Restaurant food · 1984
Restaurant soups
The core offering is a rotating range of soups associated with Ali Yeganeh's recipes. The franchised business reportedly supplied around 45 varieties in rotation, allowing restaurants to present a broad menu while receiving standardized product from the company's industrial kitchen in Linden, New Jersey.
Packaged grocery food · 2005
The Original Soupman heat-and-serve soups
Introduced in 2005, the retail line consisted initially of five refrigerated or heat-and-serve soup varieties in 15-ounce packages. The products were made by SoBe Beverages under Yeganeh's supervision and distributed through grocery stores in the United States and Canada.
Restaurant chain
Franchised Original Soupman restaurants
The franchise model extended the Manhattan soup concept to cities across the United States and Canada. Franchise operators received soup products and brand materials, while the strict customer-service behavior associated with Yeganeh's original shop was not uniformly required at every location.
Controversies
2017
CFO tax-evasion case and corporate bankruptcy
CFO Robert Bertrand was charged with failing to pay Medicare, Social Security, and federal taxes dating from 2010. The company entered bankruptcy later in 2017, closing its physical locations and selling its assets. Bertrand later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine months in prison.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015Larry Thomas promotional licensing
United States
Soupman, Inc. licensed the image of Larry Thomas, who played the fictional soup vendor on Seinfeld, to promote Yeganeh's soups. The arrangement commercially used the cultural association that had helped make the brand famous.
Outcome. The supplied source does not provide measurable campaign results.
Brand decisions
2018
Rebuild through schools, retail, and a Times Square kioskStrategyBackground
After bankruptcy, the brand sought lower-risk distribution and new physical visibility rather than immediately restoring its former restaurant network.
Action taken
The company modified recipes for New York City's public-school lunch program, expanded deli and supermarket sales, reopened the original site, and opened a Times Square kiosk.
Aftermath
The available reference confirms the relaunch activities but does not document their long-term commercial performance.
2017
Sell assets through bankruptcy proceedingsOtherBackground
Tax-related legal problems involving the CFO were followed by a corporate bankruptcy and the closure of all physical locations.
Action taken
The company's assets and licensing interests were sold in a bankruptcy sale to Gallant Brands, led by Joseph Hagan.
Aftermath
The business continued mainly through grocery sales before attempting a limited restaurant and institutional-food relaunch in 2018.
2005
Enter the grocery market with heat-and-serve soupsProduct launchBackground
The restaurant concept had become widely recognizable, creating an opportunity to distribute Yeganeh's recipes outside restaurants.
Action taken
The company launched five packaged soup varieties through grocery retailers in the United States and Canada.
Aftermath
The retail line expanded to thousands of stores, although the supplied material does not establish its current availability.
2004
Retain the original lease while pursuing expansionStrategyBackground
The original West 55th Street restaurant closed, but Yeganeh kept the lease as the business explored a broader chain and licensing model.
Action taken
The brand shifted from a single tightly controlled Manhattan shop toward franchised restaurants and packaged products.
Aftermath
The strategy led to The Original Soupman chain and later enabled the original site to reopen under a new brand identity.
Recent events
- 2018
The brand returned to physical retail in New York[1]
Product launch
Following its bankruptcy restructuring, the brand reopened the original location under The Original Soup Kitchen name and later opened a Times Square kiosk.
- 2017
The Original Soupman entered bankruptcy[1]
Bankruptcy · M&A
The chain filed for bankruptcy, closed its physical locations, and sold its assets and licensing interests to Gallant Brands.
- 2015
Soupman licensed Larry Thomas's image for promotion[1]
Campaign
Soupman, Inc. announced a license to use the image of Larry Thomas, the actor who played the Seinfeld soup seller, in marketing Yeganeh's soups in the United States.
- 2008
The first Original Soupman university franchise opened[1]
Product launch
A franchise opened at the Russell House University Union at the University of South Carolina, extending the concept into campus food service.
- 2005
The Original Soupman announced retail soup products[1]
Product launch
The brand announced a five-product heat-and-serve soup range for selected grocery stores in the United States and Canada.
Soup Kitchen International became the basis for The Original Soupman chain[1]
Other
After the original Manhattan restaurant closed in 2004, Ali Yeganeh retained the lease while pursuing a broader restaurant and licensing business under The Original Soupman name.
Sources1 sources
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