Farmington Hills-based Zoup! Systems LLC, the franchisor of the soup-centric Zoup! Eatery chain of restaurants, has been acquired by Florida-based WOWorks.
Financial terms of the deal, which was announced in a Thursday news release, were not disclosed.
WOWorks is now the parent company of the nearly 70 Zoup! franchises in the United States and Canada, including 12 in Michigan. Zoup! Speciality Products LLC, which includes a line of soups and broths, will continue as an independent operation. The specialty arm of Zoup! sells products in more than 12,500 U.S. stores, including Walmart and Kroger, according to the release.
Requests for additional information were not returned.
Zoup!, founded by Eric Ersher, opened its first restaurant in 1998 in Southfield and its first franchise location in Ann Arbor in 2003.
“After 24 years in business serving soup to customers face-to-face each day, we learned a lot about soup and broth, and we beat the odds in the restaurant industry. That is undoubtedly because of our high standards and having a stellar team,” Ersher said in a news release. “We worked hard to create a positive and deliberate culture that valued relationships and never wavered on quality, allowing us to successfully change and adapt to the marketplace and evolving consumer preferences. We believe the acquisition by WOWorks is the best next step for Zoup! Eatery. The combined industry expertise and diverse experience of the team will provide invaluable support to the franchisees, accelerate growth, and champion the brand to its full potential.”
Franchise locations require an investment of $357,900-$650,500, according to Zoup!’s website.
Zoup! Systems joins WOWorks list of brands that includes Frutta Bowls, Saladworks, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, Simple Greek and Barberitos Southwest Grille and Cantina. WOWorks, founded in 2020, operates its restaurants as brick-and-mortar locations as well as ghost kitchens and food trucks.
New York-based equity firm Centre Lane Partners LLC acquired WOWorks in 2015.
