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Souplantation Is No More | San Diego-Based Restaurant Chain Will Not Reopen

Septimus Prime

Septimus Prime

EA
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
8,500
www.sandiegoville.com

Souplantation Is No More | San Diego-Based Restaurant Chain Will Not Reopen

Founded in San Diego 42 years ago, Souplantation's parent company Garden Fresh Restaurants has laid off its workforce after announcing it would not be reopening due to uncertainty for the buffet restaurant sector in the face of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
www.sandiegoville.com www.sandiegoville.com

Although Garden Fresh Restaurants CEO John Haywood has not made an official announcement since informing the public of a companywide closure on March 16, yesterday many employees took to social media to announce the company has ended its run. Just this week, Business Insider published an article predicting that the already struggling buffet restaurant industry would likely be dealt a death blow by persisting precautions and fears surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak. There were at least eleven Souplantation locations in San Diego County.
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Dang. I really liked this place, and it was my son's favorite.

I imagine most buffets will be going soon.
 
robot

robot

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,470
Sorry for the employees, but yeah I have no idea how you market a buffet after all this. Even if/when everything opens up again people are just going to know what could happen at a buffet and probably not want any part of it.
 
NSA

NSA

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
3,892
Wow.. but I can see it. Not sure anyone is going to frequenting buffet places anytime soon.

How is Sizzler doing?
 
Curler

Curler

Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,605
That sucks, it was a great healthy-choice buffet :( I would go there often with a friend that had dietary restrictions, as there were lots of choice for him to eat.

Really going to miss those soups and bakery goods (and mac and cheese on a good day) :(
 
Bane

Bane

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
5,905
Huh, I'd not thought about buffets not coming back from this but yeah, it makes sense. The only buffet restaurant I've ever liked (of the three or four I'd ever been to) was Golden Corral, and that place had some truly good food. I'd say I'll miss it but I haven't been to one in years now.

Man, the job market's going to be fucked for so many people. What a shame.
 
Keywork

Keywork

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,132
Is Sweet Tomatoes closing as well because they are the same restaurant with different names? My wife loved that place.
 
MoonScented

MoonScented

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
685
Fuck, one of my favorite things about going to Las Vegas was buffets. Idk how that entire city will recover, let alone the beautiful gluttony of the buffets.

I personally never loved Souplantation, but I did have some good times there with friends way back in college.
 
TAJ

TAJ

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
12,446
The original owners sold off their assets as part of a bankruptcy a few years ago, so Cerberus Capital is taking the hit on this, fortunately.
Too bad about the rank-and-file employees, though.
 
OP
OP
Septimus Prime

Septimus Prime

EA
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
8,500
For those who don't know this chain, imagine the Sizzler salad bar. Except way, way, way, way better (but no meats). Plus soups and baked goods.
 
Metto

Metto

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,110
Man this is hitting me hard.

Back in 2016 my dog died and was hit really hard for a few months. I remember the time I went with my dad for a walk and we came here for the first time and I absolutely loved their Clam Chowder. Had become a treat every time I've been there especially when I stayed at my dad's place as it was close to this apartment.

I think it's finally dawned just how much the business landscape is gonna change because of the Pandemic especially restaurants. Post Pandemic world is going to be a slightly bitter sweet experience when we see what may have stood and what didn't
 
MadLaughter

MadLaughter

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
13,098
Good, now my employees won't constantly vote for this for our year-end lunches

(Kidding, empathy for those involved and those with fond memories of it)
 
Rogue Blue

Rogue Blue

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
2,280
This is so sad.

I have tons of childhood memories of the one we used to go to back at my old home in California. My friends and I would go there all the time.

Hope all of the employees make it through okay.
 
Tagyhag

Tagyhag

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,507
Yeah it's a real shame, it was a great buffet and they had a lot of healthy options.

I always wondered how thin their profit margin was because their ingredients were all good quality and you could get some insanely cheap coupons for lunch and dinner (IIRC Lunch could be like $8.95 which was just ridiculous).

Gonna miss their soups and their Asian chicken salad.
 
TAJ

TAJ

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
12,446
Septimus Prime said:
For those who don't know this chain, imagine the Sizzler salad bar. Except way, way, way, way better (but no meats). Plus soups and baked goods.
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It really changed a lot, then.
I only went to one location, in Mira Mesa, CA, a couple times in the mid-'80s. It was basically a salad bar, a couple soups, and rolls.
 

Deleted member 5853

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
12,725
FUCK. So many childhood memories there. As vegetarians, my family always used to go there, so it's sad to see it die like this.
 
OP
OP
Septimus Prime

Septimus Prime

EA
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
8,500
TAJ said:
It really changed a lot, then.
I only went to one location, in Mira Mesa, CA, a couple times in the mid-'80s. It was basically a salad bar, a couple soups, and rolls.
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Yeah, in the mid/late-2000s, they introduced premium add-on items, like edamame, wasabi peas, and chicken, for an additional cost.

That failed to catch on (unsurprisingly), but the reason I mention it is because many of those items stuck around as regular options.
 
Curler

Curler

Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,605
mute said:
All the sweet Tomatoes closed down here over a year or two ago. I really miss it :(
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I heard they closed down a bunch recently and were only sticking to a small regional area. The Sweet Tomatoes in NorCal were unaffected. I think this was just one of those financial decisions, if they were already consolidating to a very small amount of them, even if my local ones were always consistently packed for dinner.
 

sapien85

Banned
Nov 8, 2017
5,427
Yeah buffets are gonna be in deep shit for a while. I've been to these many times and they always seemed busy.
 
MegaRockEXE

MegaRockEXE

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 29, 2017
3,950
Oh no...
I went to one once and I liked it. Will be sad to see it go. Guess there will be a lot of empty storefronts when things start opening up.
 
GamerJM

GamerJM

Member
Nov 8, 2017
15,638
Bruh. I had well over 60$ in gift cards for this place (I got like 125$ as a Christmas gift because there's one right by my work, didn't want to eat there all the time so I had only used some of that money since then). Welp that's gone now I guess.
 
Mekanos

Mekanos

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 17, 2018
44,176
Damn, this is crazy. It's a staple here in OC. And it's going to be far from the last chain to go under.
 
Darth Pinche

Darth Pinche

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,761
TAJ said:
It really changed a lot, then.
I only went to one location, in Mira Mesa, CA, a couple times in the mid-'80s. It was basically a salad bar, a couple soups, and rolls.
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Oh man! That Mira Mesa location was the go-to place for my wife and I during grad school. I went back there in August when I was in town for a conference. I will miss their tarragon tuna pasta. RIP Souplantation.
 
Kino

Kino

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,322
Wow this is heartbreaking. I loved their salad bar and soups.

Its unbelievable how this virus has devastated the restaurant industry. I can't imagine how the employees feel. That one post in the article is really sad
 
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