Souplantation will return to California in 2027, with Marlee Lossing saying the chain has announced one location so far. The director of corporate affairs for Sweet Tomatoes told Patch by email that the company will reveal the site on social media in the coming days.
“We are thrilled to confirm that Souplantation will be returning to California in 2027,” Lossing said. “For now, we've announced only one location.”
Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes
Souplantation first opened in San Diego in 1978, then grew into a chain with 97 locations before permanent closures were announced in 2020. At that point, the company had 44 California locations. Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The comeback is limited. Souplantation’s return is set for one California location, not a wider relaunch across Southern California or Outside Southern California. The company has not disclosed where the new restaurant will open, leaving the site itself to a later social media announcement.
Perpetual Capital Partners
The chain’s path to that point ran through Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2016, followed by a sale to Perpetual Capital Partners. Under new ownership, Sweet Tomatoes has returned in Tucson, Arizona, and Fort Myers, Florida, while the California site now stands as the next step for the brand.
Robert Allbritton, chairman of Perpetual Capital Partners, said the company spent “two years researching and trying to improve things and actually got the business turned around.” He also said, “We were growing the number of guests and were in the process of renovating the restaurants with new fixtures, carpeting (and) signage as late as January.”
Allbritton said the business then collapsed quickly after the virus hit: “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.”
California in 2027
For readers hoping to visit, the practical detail is simple: Souplantation is coming back, but only one California location has been announced. The company says the place will be named soon on social media, and that is the detail customers need before planning around the return.
