Souplantation

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Souplantation (also known in some locations as Sweet Tomatoes) is a buffet-style chain restaurant with locations in the south, west and Midwest United States. The first restaurant, named Souplantation, was opened in San Diego in 1978. It specializes in fresh salads and soups and is open for both lunch and dinner. Separate prices are provided for children (those under two years old are admitted free) and adults. As of 2006, the company boasts 100 locations in 15 states, with over 265 million customers since first opening their doors.^[1]

The restaurants include a large salad buffet with a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, croutons and other salad condiments, as well as a few prepared featured salads. Other sections include up to 8 soup selections, a small bakery offering muffins and pizza foccacia, a pasta section with a few different pasta and sauces and a dessert section offering fruit, puddings, and soft-serve ice cream.

Fountain beverages are self-serve and purchase of a fountain soft drink permits unlimited refills.

Although most stores are only open during the afternoon and evening, some Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes locations are also open Sunday mornings for breakfast, initially with San Diego-area Souplantations.^[2] The city is a common test market for companies looking to try new ideas and also home to Souplantation's corporate offices.

As typical with buffet-style restaurants, customers are discouraged from taking home leftovers.

The company strongly promotes the freshness of its ingredients and the fact that everything on the menu (including soups, bakery items and pasta) is made from scratch everyday at the store location. Salads are left out on the buffet for 20 minutes, and then thrown out and a new salad is made. The chain positions itself as a healthier alternative to fast food and markets intensively to families with children.

Although the restaurant calls for strict sanitation regulations and handwashing procedures, Souplantation restaurant has been the source of two foodborne illness outbreaks within five months of each other. An outbreak of E. coli in March 2007 was linked to the Lake Forest, California Souplantation^[3], which resulted in a voluntary shutdown. Also, an outbreak of Shigella in July/August 2007 was linked to the Pasadena, California Souplantation^[4], which also resulted in a voluntary shut down for a thorough resanitation.