Living in the often blustery cold and damp Midwest, there are some days when I simply can not warm up no matter what.  Grey skies, rain, snow, sleet, slush, and road construction all blend together to make up typically 5 or so months when staying warm and cozy is on top of everyone’s mind here.  Created in Southfield, MI in 1998 this week’s New Franchise Friday comes back to my home state to celebrate with Zoup! Fresh Soup Company.

Owner & Founder Eric Ershner, after coming from a background in various facets of the food industry, started his first Zoup location in Southfield selling nothing other than soups.  Today the growing chain has a full menu consisting of salads, sandwiches, and to top it off – a rotating list of 100 specialty soups for dine-in or take-out (catering is an option too).  Offering everything from the exotic Mulligatawny, (a curried tomato based chicken soup) to my personal favorite, Chicken Potpie, Zoup found the health conscious foodie niche market before it was so trendy to do so.  They continue to innovate and create tasty combinations to fit into everyone’s dietary choices and needs.

With 41 operating locations, and numbers 42 and 43 coming soon, Zoup made Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Franchise 500 list for 2012 at spot number 300 (up from 316 the year prior).  Ershner maintains a focus on quality and keeping the customers happy first – the rest according to him in an article written by Judy Kneiszel for QSR Magazine, will “fall into place”.  Quite a mantra to enforce across the franchisee ownership – so far it seems as though Zoup has found a recipe for success.

This is just the kind of unique and powerful company that we like to support.  Best of luck Zoup! Fresh Soup Company in your growth and development for 2012 from us at River’s Edge Project Management!