The sight of Soup ‘n Fresh’s entrance is always decorated with the cheerful white and green logo as well as the winding line that is ever-present outside of the Chino Hills establishment. Come rain or shine, devoted customers and eager consumers of Soup ‘n Fresh are always willing to wait in the daunting line for a taste of their favorite foods. Chino Hills locals have graciously and thankfully welcomed the restaurant back to its rightful place in their community.
Soup ‘n Fresh is connected to a complicated history. In the past, their Chino Hills location was home to Souplantation, also known as Sweet Tomatoes outside of Southern California, and was owned by a parent company called Garden Fresh Restaurants. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the health regulations and measures taken made the self-serve buffet model for their restaurant impossible to sustain. On May 7, 2020, the permanent closure of all 97 restaurants was announced, leaving many devastated and forced to say goodbye to their precious food spot.
Chino Hills thought that was the last they would see of the iconic, beloved salad bar and tear-inducing chocolate muffins. So, it was shocking to all when on February 28, 2024, in Rancho Cucamonga, Soup ‘n Fresh was opened in the same exact building Souplantation used to inhabit. The surprise quickly turned into uncontainable anticipation until Soup ‘n Fresh opened its doors in Chino Hills on February 14, 2025.
A common misconception since its opening was that Soup ‘n Fresh was the relaunching of Souplantation. Soup ‘n Fresh is in no way affiliated with the corporation, Garden Fresh Tomatoes, and is instead a family-owned business. The new owners were inspired by the popularity of Souplantation and created the dupe with the intent to leverage the nostalgia factor to gain customers…