Souplantation Is Returning to California in 2027: Here’s What We Know About the Comeback
There is a specific kind of comfort attached to the all-you-can-eat buffet, one that many Californians first tasted at Souplantation. For decades, the chain was synonymous with unlimited soups, fresh salads, pizza, and affordable family meals. While the brand has been absent from the state for years, that era may be drawing to a close.
Plenty of Californians recall big, affordable lunches and dinners at the now-shuttered chain, which famously offered fresh-made salads and soup in an unlimited format. Over the years, the all-you-can-eat chain even inspired its fair share of imitators. Now, it appears that California will soon be able to ride the Souplantation train once again.
The Confirmation: Sweet Tomatoes Backs a 2027 Return
Souplantation will once again grace the Golden State with its limitless buffet in 2027, according to confirmation provided to SFGATE by the group behind sister brand Sweet Tomatoes. The parent company was initially being opaque on some key details, but the messaging has since sharpened.
The comeback was first teased in a sunny, palm tree-studded Oct. 5 Instagram post featuring an image of a “Welcome to California” sign with the short caption “Stay tuned…” Sweet Tomatoes has already quietly resurfaced in recent years with locations in Tucson, Arizona, and Fort Myers, Florida, though it had yet to return to the state where it all started.
According to an email from a Sweet Tomatoes spokesperson, Marlee Lossing, on Oct. 6, the exact location would be shared on social media “very soon.” By the following day, the chain announced a forthcoming opening in the Orange County city of Fountain Valley.
The Likely First Spot: Fountain Valley and the Old Souplantation Site
While not officially confirmed down to the exact lease details, the restaurant is likely to land in its closed former location at 11179 Talbert Ave. in Fountain Valley, which has been closed since the pandemic. Judging by the look of the teaser video released earlier this month, Southern California was the intended market from the start.
Health-focused chain Souplantation is no stranger to SoCal. The brand launched in San Diego in 1978, and according to a 2016 Newsweek article, “The first location of Souplantation aspired to be ‘the first casual eatery brand to serve fresh, wholesome menu options.’”
At its peak, the chain grew to 97 locations across the majority of California, as well as the Southwest and Florida, where it operated under the name Sweet Tomatoes. Despite its popularity, the chain’s troublesome plantation name did receive some backlash over the years, a factor often cited in the rebranding and operational shifts the company underwent.
A Troubled History: Bankruptcy, the Pandemic, and the 2020 Closure
The road to closure was paved long before the first stay-at-home orders. In 2016, the parent company of Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and was subsequently sold to private investment firm Perpetual Capital Partners. However, any remaining locations shuttered suddenly and permanently in 2020 due to complications posed by the pandemic.
“We spent two years researching and trying to improve things and actually got the business turned around,” Perpetual Capital Partners chairman Robert Allbritton told the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2020. “We were growing the number of guests and were in process of renovating the restaurants with new fixtures, carpeting, signage as late as January. We felt great about it. But I’ve got to tell you, when the virus hit, we went from 100 percent to 70 to 30 to 10 percent that fast, before the restaurants closed down and the company ran out of money in one week.”
The speed of the decline described by Allbritton underscores how fragile the buffet model proved to be during public health crises. Diners could not gather in the large, communal dining rooms that defined the brand, and the revenue stream evaporated almost overnight.
Key Moments in the Souplantation Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1978 | Souplantation launches in San Diego |
| Peak Era | Brand expands to 97 locations across California, the Southwest, and Florida |
| 2016 | Parent company files Chapter 11; sold to Perpetual Capital Partners |
| 2020 | All remaining locations shutter permanently due to the pandemic |
| 2024 | Sweet Tomatoes teases California return; confirms 2027 opening target |
| 2027 | Planned Souplantation return to Fountain Valley, Orange County |
Looking Ahead: What the 2027 Return Means for Diners
The reopening of Souplantation in Fountain Valley is slated for 2027. As of the most recent update, the exact details surrounding renovations and the final lease at 11179 Talbert Ave. remain pending, though the former site’s long vacancy since the pandemic makes it a logical candidate for the comeback.
Signals That the Chain Is Serious This Time
Several factors suggest this return is more than a nostalgia play. The parent company has spent the intervening years rebuilding in other markets, including Arizona and Florida, allowing them to test operational models before returning to California. The teaser campaign, which utilized iconic imagery like the “Welcome to California” sign, indicates a deliberate marketing effort to reconnect with local loyalty.
For residents of Orange County and the wider Southland, the wait may be worth it. A 2027 opening gives the company time to restructure the supply chain and staffing necessary to run an all-you-can-eat model successfully in the post-pandemic economy. Until then, fans of the brand can look to Sweet Tomatoes locations in other states to keep the tradition alive.
Editor’s note: This story reflects the latest confirmed information regarding the Souplantation return, including the Fountain Valley location and 2027 timeline announced in early October.
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