Man of Steel

You might say the burgeoning soup craze is Seined, sealed and delivered. Thanks to its much-talked-about "Soup Nazi" episode, the hit TV show "Seinfeld" has helped to turn up the heat on one of the nation's best-loved--but often overlooked--foods.

Just as coffee fueled a specialty industry, trend watchers are wondering if another hot liquid might be ready to go full steam ahead. It certainly seems so, judging by the success of soup enterprises like San Antonio-based Souper Salad Inc. According to Souper Salad's Clint Shackelford, the privately held soup and salad chain has experienced approximately 25 percent growth in each of the past two years. As of this month, Souper Salad numbers 68 units in six states.

Not surprisingly, restaurants aren't the only places where consumers are getting bowled over. In a reader survey, Better Homes and Gardens magazine found one-third of respondents said they were serving and preparing more soups than they had two years earlier. Our cups runneth over.

This article was originally published in the March 1997 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Man of Steel.