Revamped Rancho Bernardo Souplantation reopening
By Emily Sorensen
You may have noticed that the Souplantation in Rancho Bernardo, located at 17210 Bernardo Center Drive, is closed. Don’t worry, soup and salad fans; the restaurant will reopen Saturday, June 1 with some big changes for its loyal customers.
Souplantation, which celebrated its 20th anniversary at its Rancho Bernardo location in January, will be making some changes to the menu, as well as giving the inside of the restaurant a fresh new look.
“The remodeling is not just of the facilities, but the service standards and the menu as well,’ said Tammy Bailey, chief marketing officer for Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp., the owner of Souplantation. “People’s expectations have grown, and it’s time to reward our loyal customers with an updated atmosphere.”
Souplantation will reopen with an updated dining area, complete with new rustic hardwood floors, live plants and more natural surfaces. “It gives [the restaurant] that feeling of life,” said Bailey. “But still keeps it comfortable and homey.” Fresh paint, new artwork on the walls, new china and flatware, new lights in the dining area, and a redone beverage bar will also be unveiled at the reopening. “We’re looking forward to seeing our guests’ reactions,” said Bailey.
Souplantation will also be updating their menu, adding premium food items like chicken and steak skewers and big, fresh-baked cookies for an additional price. “People’s diets have changed,” said Bailey. “People are on lean protein diets. We didn’t want to add protein to the [salad] bar and raise the price for all customers; we didn’t want to punish non-meat eaters.” Souplantation also plans to have vegetarian skewers, such as mozzarella, tomato and basil skewers. The restaurant will also be adding local beers and wines for sale.
For dinner service, the staff will be baking chocolate chip cookies and bringing them around to tables to ask about the customer’s experience and offering them a fresh-baked cookie.
The way the food is merchandised and presented is also being changed to be more modern and contemporary. “We’re changing out the sneeze guards [at the salad bar] to be all glass so our customers can see the fresh, vibrant food,” said Bailey. “The food is the star.”
In addition to new food and new atmosphere, Souplantation is completing their remodel with a new outlook on customer service. “I’ve been looking for superstar employees to give wow service,” said general manager Randy Collins. “I’ve been looking for people who can talk about the food.” Collins said he hired the new employees in a different way than he has before. “I looked for outgoing personalities who can make the guests feel welcome,” said Collins.
“People come back because they feel like family,” said Collins. “What really matters is the service you get, and the taste of the food.”
Souplantation will be holding a grand reopening event 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 4. The public is welcome to attend and enjoy the live music and celebration.
Souplantation is open 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday - Thursday, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday - Saturday, and 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 858-675-1683.
