In Rancho Cucamonga, a culinary resurrection is underway at Soup ‘n Fresh, the new family-owned restaurant resurrecting the beloved Souplantation experience. Just weeks into its soft opening, the eatery is drawing huge crowds nostalgic for the endless soup, salad, and carbs they thought were gone forever.
Lines have stretched down Foothill Boulevard with eager diners waiting hours just to recapture the comforting tastes of the iconic buffet chain that closed in 2020. Yelp reviews rave about the familiar flavors and setup at Soup ‘n Fresh’s prime location – the very same building that previously housed a Souplantation.
“Souplantation is back!” exclaimed Yelper Arianna R. “A different company though, no affiliation with Souplantation! But yes, it’s literally the exact same but fresher, cleaner, and better.”
For the passionate Souplantation fanbase, Soup ‘n Fresh represents a reunion with an old friend. While not officially tied to the original, the new owners have painstakingly recreated the salad bar, soups, pastas, baked goods and ambiance that became a generational favorite.
“The setup and offerings appear strikingly similar – diners start by assembling a fresh salad from an extensive toppings bar before proceeding to the all-you-can-eat soup, pasta, pizza, baked goods and dessert stations,” wrote one enthusiastic reviewer after visiting on opening day.
Longtime loyalists are overjoyed to have their Souplantation standbys back. “The chicken noodle soup and the clam chowder is spot on. So is the blueberry muffin (smaller now), ranch dressing and the pizza,” affirmed Yelper Abby L. “The biggest difference is the smaller sizes/lack of ingredients.”
That dedicated nostalgia factor is clearly driving the initial crowds. Photos on Yelp show lines trailing out the front door, with one reviewer admitting “I got sunburned, but it was worth the wait.”
For many, a meal at Soup ‘n Fresh represents an edible trip down memory lane. “We missed souplantation,” said Arianna R. Another customer told ABC7 fondly, “My mother and grandmother used to bring me to the location when it used to be Souplantation.”
The new owners at Soup ‘n Fresh embraced that deep community connection from day one. They hosted friends, family, and former Souplantation employees for a private tasting event ahead of the public opening, ensuring the flavors sparked those cravings for the good old days.
On Yelp, early guests commented that the experience was not a complete replica of Souplantation’s heyday. Selection is slightly reduced due to limited kitchen capacity, a few fan favorite salad toppings are MIA, and popular items like pizza and baked potatoes were quickly depleted by ravenous crowds.
But in the eyes of most reviewers, any imperfections just add to the homespun charm. “As this is now a family run business, the ability of the staff to keep up with the food and maintain consistency is a bit lacking,” noted Abby L. “Now, at the time of this review the restaurant has only been open for two weeks and to far greater fanfare than they likely expected.”
Those opening struggles seem like a small price to pay for a chance to return to their beloved buffet. “You can tell that some of the employees it was their first time working in a restaurant/buffet. But they were absolutely nice,” said Arianna R. “I know this place just opened so I’m cutting them slack on them running out of plates, spoons, and fan favorite foods.”
For Soup ‘n Fresh, the enduring loyalty of Souplantation’s customer base is both a blessing and a burden in these early days. “The demand is crazy,” co-owner Brian Lopez told CBS. “People are driving from all over the place like Oceanside and the San Fernando Valley.”
While the full grand opening isn’t until April 2, hungry fans have already secured Soup ‘n Fresh as a slam dunk success by voting with their appetite. Yelp reviewer Shanon Y. gushed, “I’m SO happy to report that I tried it out and there is seriously nothing else out there more comparable than this new soup and salad buffet.”
In the bittersweet aftermath of COVID-19’s devastating impact on the hospitality industry, the miraculous resurrection of the Souplantation concept is nourishing souls as well as bellies. For a small but fervent following, Soup ‘n Fresh is dishing out the ultimate comfort food: pure nostalgia.