Souplantation needs to make a grand return
If you were to listen closely enough on May 8, 2020, you might have heard the thunderous crashing of my knees to the ground after hearing the news that Souplantation, otherwise known as Sweet Tomatoes, had permanently closed its doors. Souplantation, an all-you-can-eat, buffet-style restaurant, was a cornerstone of many childhoods, including my own. It served a delicious variety of food, pleasing health nuts and gluttons alike. With the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the idea of a self-serve place where “sneeze guards” were built into the food lines did not seem particularly sanitary, nor economically sustainable. Thus, every location closed. For the past four years, there has been a Souplantation-sized hole in my heart. I believe that it has been long enough where the restaurant can and must be revived from its shallow grave. Bringing Souplantation back to America is more than just a dream–it is necessary for the good of the people.
In a time when most are struggling to pay for groceries or find cheap meals, consider that Souplantation posed an incredible deal: fresh, unlimited food for an affordable price. A great night at Souplantation did not cost an arm and a leg, as even a family of four would not need to pay more than $60 total. Going to Souplantation was a ritual for many families. Their relaxed atmosphere was warm and inviting, with the unthreatening green and red walls easing you into a mellow state. There is a dearth of places like Souplantation at this point. Affordable, family-oriented restaurants are becoming few and far between. Have fun taking your family to Lazy Dog or BJ’s, where paying for your meal ends with you taking out a second mortgage on your home. Reviving Souplantation gives middle-class families more dining options and would thankfully prevent parents from going into debt while paying the bill.
I have expressed my feelings about the lack of good dining in Newbury Park, and I know many others have, too. Many of our restaurants have been closing, and there have not really been any developments with what could replace them. I propose that a new Souplantation opens right here in Newbury. I believe that either the closed CVS on Reino or Mod Pizza on Broadbeck could serve as great mini-locations. It would drive up business in both of those areas and send many people Newbury Park’s way, creating a new dining hub with us in the center.
It saddens me that a generation of kids will grow up with little to no memories of the place. No memories of filling up their plastic trays with muffins and cheesy flatbreads. No memories of self-serving from the ice cream machine. No nostalgia for the aroma of the place. I have all of these memories, and I would hate to see today’s kids miss out on a piece of childhood that I believe is imperative to have. I do not care what has to be done, all I know is that Souplantation must return, or our childhood, as we know it, is at stake.
