Zoup! Stirs Up Southwestern Ohio's Entrepreneurial Pot

SOUTHFIELD, MI, June 12, 2011 (Press-News.org) Looking to feed Cincinnati and Dayton's growing entrepreneurial spirit, Zoup! Fresh Soup Company, the leading soup restaurant concept in the fast-casual industry, will be educating entrepreneurs through the FranNet of Cincinnati's "Meet the Franchisor" workshop on June 21, 2011.

Held at the Zoup! Stetson Square location at 260 Stetson Street, the workshop will be hosted by FranNet broker Nan Stricker, with the goal of presenting entrepreneurs an opportunity to learn what has made Zoup! a leader in its industry for more than 12 years.

"I'm thrilled to represent Zoup! and its unique franchise opportunity," said Stricker. "Over the years, Zoup! has built an incredible infrastructure and offers the support to help guide the savvy entrepreneur looking to grow within a proven franchise system."

With one location currently operating in the Cincinnati market, the company has announced plans to open eight locations throughout Cincinnati and Dayton over the next few years.

For the workshop, Zoup! will host a soup tasting at 2:30 p.m., offering samples of its award-winning soups, followed by a presentation and Q&A session with Zoup! founder and managing partner, Eric Ersher and franchisee, Coy Compton.

"The recent growth of the fast-casual industry has presented us with an ideal opportunity to expand our company's presence in the southwestern half of Ohio," said Eric Ersher, founder and managing partner of Zoup! Fresh Soup Company. "Opening a Zoup! store is a great chance for a restaurateur to provide an experience to their customers that is filled with quality, satisfaction and convenience."

"We hope that those attending our workshops will see the strength of our business model and feel the unique culture we bring to the franchise community," added Ersher.

Zoup! features hundreds of award-winning soups with 12 rotating daily varieties, including low-fat, vegetarian, dairy-free, low-points and gluten-free options. According to Ersher, "We created Zoup! after discovering that really good soup is hard to find. Also, in talking to people, it became clear that there's something special about soup and the way it elicits thoughts of family, well-being and comfort for many people. We strive to offer authentic, hand-crafted soups that are as good - and as "feel-good" - as the homemade soups our mothers and grandmothers used to cook up."

All those interested in attending the workshop must register online at www.frannet.com/events or call Nan Stricker directly at 513-519-3756. For more information about Zoup!, visit www.zoup.com.

About Zoup!
Founded in 1998, Zoup! is the leading fast-casual soup concept restaurant that is defining the category with its premium and proprietary soups and other recipes. A dining experience that features 12 always-rotating soup varieties each day in an environment that focuses on comfort, satisfaction and convenience, Zoup! has grown its network of franchises to 33 restaurants throughout Colorado, the District of Columbia, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Illinois. For more information, visit www.zoup.com or www.zoupfranchise.com.