Soup chef Al Yeganeh opened his first store downtown

Hungry crowds in the Financial District will now be able to wait on line for the legendary soup creations of Al Yeganeh, the soup chef who inspired a "Seinfeld" character. On January 18, Soup Kitchen International, Inc., the company that operates and franchises the Original Soup Man, opened its sixth store in the city at 97 Trinity Place -- the first Lower Manhattan location.

Since establishing his first store at 55^th Street and Eighth Avenue in 1984, Yeganeh has developed a loyal following of soup devotees. Customers from all over the world have been known to wait on long lines for a taste of his jambalaya, crab bisque, or mulligatawny.

"I'm just a serious soup guy," says Yeganeh, who claims he was unhappy with how "Seinfeld" mocked his image.

The notorious chef -- known for yelling at customers who don't keep the line moving -- is expanding his operations across the continent. The grand opening of the downtown store marks the beginning of the company's "Soup Stock World Tour 2006" in which up to 100 new locations in North America will open throughout the year. Over the coming weeks, the Original Soup Man will open new uptown locations at 672 Lexington Avenue, 1369 Third Avenue, 708 Third Avenue, 131 Lenox Avenue, and Rockefeller Center.

Following the opening ceremony of the downtown branch this week, the company will present a $10,000 donation on behalf of Yeganeh's charitable organization, Soup For Life, to City Harvest, New York City's largest hunger relief group. Soup For Life will make donations to City Harvest and other local hunger charities at each of the upcoming grand opening celebrations.

"Al Yeganeh has been a New York City institution for so many years. The excitement generated at all the grand openings on our Soup Stock World Tour goes to prove what a powerful brand Al and his legendary soups have really become," John Bello, chairman and CEO of Soup Kitchen International, Inc., said in a statement. The company also sells the Original Soup Man soups in Grab-n-Go packages in grocery stores nationwide.

For a more information, visit www.ORIGINALSOUPMAN.com or call (877)-SOUPMAN.