Souplantation announced on their social media pages they will not reopen their 97 Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes restaurants due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The outpouring of love on social media has been overwhelming and we are so grateful to all of the sweet memories you have shared with us," Souplantation said in a release.
This comes a day after John Haywood, CEO for Souplantation’s parent company Garden Fresh Restaurants, told NBC 7 reopening looked bleak.
"We have explored all options during the last 8 weeks, but since we closed due to COVID-19 due to FDA recommendations to not permit salad bars and buffets which the states are following, we’ve engaged in bankruptcy counsel to explore the best option for the company," Haywood said.
Longtime fan Kyle Canfield said he’s been coming to Souplantation since he was a kid. The news of the closure spread to his family across the country.
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“It’s funny... I just got off the phone with my parents who live in Florida and the news got to them as well and they were sad,” Canfield told NBC 7 on Wednesday.
Souplantation explained refund options for gift cards are limited at this time, but said there may be alternative options available through "the court in the future."