Ali Shaukat and his family sought a change of pace in opening their own Zoup! restaurant.
The longtime chartered accountant was ready to retire, and together with his wife and son, sought a new business they could run together for the first time.
“It was a very exciting journey,” he said. “After working in the corporate environment, I was quite tired of it, and we thought it would be a good idea. And the opportunities are there in your own business if you do it well.”
The newest location of the fast food soup franchise will be celebrating its grand opening March 15 after about three months in operation at the 27 Harry Walker Parkway South retail plaza. The franchise offers a variety of different soups from many different countries, alongside sandwiches, salads, macaroni and cheese, and bowls.
The unique offerings compared to other fast-food franchises made it an attractive proposition for the family, who immigrated from Pakistan.
“It seems like soup is underserved in the fast, casual market,” Ali Khawar Shaukat, the son of the family, said. “There aren’t enough soup places.”
Zoup! started in 1997, when its two founders realized good soup was hard to find. They created hundreds of recipes for "soup that soothes the soul" and opened their first location as Zoup! Fresh Soup Company in Southfield, Michegan. Offering 12 new soups every day, served with a hunk of bread, the founders confirmed what they suspected all along – there was a strong demand for fresh and authentic soup that people love, but seldom have time to prepare.
Quickly, Zoup! grew to offer more than just soup, adding fresh-baked ciabatta bread and good greens, comforting sandwiches and fresh salads to the menu.
The first franchise location opened in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2003. The company began building a support team and cultural foundation for a growing franchise system.
The menu is health-focused, the elder Ali Shaukaut said, with fresh ingredients and items all made on-site.
It is far from the only new franchise store to open in the plaza recently. Located next to a potential future Costco site in the works, the shopping plaza has been filled with plenty of new businesses over the past year, including the recent opening of Firehouse Subs.
That was part of the appeal for the previously Ajax-based family. The elder Ali Shaukat said they searched all throughout the GTA for a location after signing on with Zoup! at the end of 2020, but Newmarket won out.
“When we found this place in Newmarket, it seemed appropriate for us. It was a young community. Developing this place itself was attractive because of various other good, brand-name restaurants were coming up,” he said.
The family hopes that this Newmarket store, their first business, is a way for them to move upward and open more franchises in York Region.
“We are thrilled to expand Zoup! Eatery in Canada and bring delicious, high-quality food options to our community,” Shamim Shaukat said. “Our family is passionate about providing nourishing meals that are quick and convenient, and we are excited to introduce guests to the unique offerings.”
The grand opening celebration will be March 15 at 11 a.m.
