Zoup! Launches Aggressive Push to Bring Award-Winning Soups to More U.S. States and Canada

Like most great ideas, Eric Ersher, the founder and CEO of Zoup!, let his newfound business idea simmer before taking it to the market.

Years ago, Ersher got his start in the restaurant business by going through the back door first. As a spice distributor, Ersher was responsible for making blends for small restaurant chains. Then, one day, one of those restaurants wanted his company to make ready-to-use soup. Ersher was intrigued by the idea—after visiting restaurant after restaurant, he quickly realized two things: first, that really good soup was hard to find. And secondly, soup, when done right, has powerful intangible qualities that elicit feelings of comfort, warmth and well-being for people. So, Ersher leased what was formerly the kitchen of a closed-down General Motors auto plant in Detroit, and he and his chef got to work whipping up and testing hundreds of recipes.

Within a few years, after a painstaking trial and error process and scores of tastings, Ersher opened the first Zoup! in Southfield, Michigan in 1998—a location that is still open to this day.

“The focus from the outset was to do what we were doing really, really well and trust that the rest would fall into place. From the very beginning, Zoup! separated itself from the pack through our dedication to variety, innovation and the relentless pursuit of finding the perfect collection of recipes. Today, we have hundreds of soups. We serve 12 a day, and they rotate daily,” Ersher said. “And as people continue to be more adventurous with flavors than ever before, we also try to offer unique ingredients and unique flavors. They might not always be top-sellers, but it’s one of the major elements that keeps us relevant and interesting.”

Ersher’s concept was such a hit with guests that he eventually opened four more company-owned stores. By the early 2000s, he realized Zoup! had a strong enough foundation and a large enough following to grow beyond the original goal of five restaurants.

"When we first started, we were strategic about our growth plans," Ersher said. "It has been well-defined since the beginning, and we have stayed disciplined to not grow outside of that plan."

To grow Zoup! into a national chain, Ersher chose to franchise his soup shop in 2002. He contacted FranchisesForSale.com CEO Richard Simtob to draft a franchise plan—a process that took nearly five years to perfect. Then, in 2007, he made a strategic move, allowing Simtob to purchase a minority stake in the firm. With Simtob's expertise, the franchise growth ramped up.

Today, Zoup has nearly 100 restaurants in more than 20 U.S states and Ontario, with even more scheduled to open in 2017. Now, the brand is focused on expanding with the help of the right franchisees.

"Our strength is identifying those who share our passion for the brand and helping them build their own successful businesses," he said. "This is why we're focused on franchising and why we're always expanding our Business Office team and improving the systems, support programs and marketing initiatives that empower franchisees to achieve their personal potential and meet their professional goals."

And while franchising remains a top priority for the brand in the year ahead, so too does constant innovation. The company operates two Detroit-area company stores, where staff tests a variety of operations.

“We have a real-world setting where we can test new menu items, introduce and refine new procedures and train new franchisees and team members. We work hard to get in front of consumer preferences with ingredients, flavors and nutritional options that provide customers with new experiences,” Ersher said. “That has always been what sets Zoup! apart, and we’ll keep delivering on that promise as we continue to grow throughout the country and beyond.”