Soup Kitchen International

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Soup Kitchen International was a well-known soup restaurant at 259-A West 55th Street, near 8th Avenue, in Manhattan, New York City, run by Al Yeganeh. Mr. Yeganeh was the inspiration for the "Soup Nazi" character in the similarly-named episode of the NBC television sitcom Seinfeld. Mr. Yeganeh has stated on numerous occasions that he is very offended by the "Soup Nazi" moniker. It is in this episode where Yeganeh is fictionally portrayed as the tyrannical purveyor of his soups, making all of his customers follow a strict set of rules if they wish to successfully procure a bowl of one of his coveted liquid masterpieces. The real Mr.Yeganeh has stated that his rules are simply an attempt to keep the line moving and serve the largest number of people.

In order to provide the most efficient service to his customers, Mr. Yeganeh established a set of "rules" for ordering his soup:

Pick the soup you want.
Have your money ready.
Move to the extreme left after ordering.[1]

Supposedly, if these rules aren't followed, the offending patron is denied service and sent to the back of the line. It is somewhat difficult to separate fact from fiction in this case, as reporters interviewing Mr.Yeganeh tend to casually alienate him at once by mentioning "Seinfeld" and the "Soup Nazi" description which he finds very offensive, instead of treating him seriously as a chef and entrepreneur.

As of April 2006, the 55th Street location was closed, with the windows soaped over.^{[citation needed]} A statement on Soup Kitchen International's website states that the 55th Street location and the entire building wall next to it are available "for sale or lease" until December of 2019.[2]

Soup Kitchen International Inc. and the "Original Soup Man", Al Yeganeh, announced on April 22, 2005, that a retail line of "heat-n-serve" soups would be available in May at select grocery stores. "Original Soup Man" franchises are also being opened in various cities throughout the United States and Canada, including six in Manhattan. The soups are made in his industial kitchen in Piscataway, New Jersey. [3]

Mr. Yeganeh accepts media inquiries but his "media rules" forbid mention of "the 'N' word" (for Nazi), personal questions, or follow-up questions. Interviews are only conducted via e-mail. [4]

The 1993 romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle also refers to him — though not by name — as explained in the commentary.