Bottomless soup and salad fans, prepare yourselves. Though Souplantation closed all locations in 2020, a new restaurant called Soup ‘n Fresh opened in a former Souplantation location in Rancho Cucamonga. It appears that longtime fans really missed their favorite soup and salad buffet restaurant, as a line sprawled from Soup ‘n Fresh’s entrance and into the parking lot when the restaurant opened on February 28. The restaurant is currently in soft opening mode until its April 2 grand opening.

According to KTLA, Soup ‘n Fresh has a similar layout to Souplantation and serves a familiar all-you-can-eat menu of salad bar, soups, pasta, pizza, baked goods, drinks, baked potatoes, blueberry muffins, desserts, and more. It’s located on Foothill Boulevard and Vineyard Avenue with lunch costing $16.99 and dinner at $18.99.

Souplantation (which also had locations called Sweet Tomatoes) was founded in San Diego in 1978. In May 2020, the company closed all 97 locations, however, Sweet Tomatoes will reopen in Tucson in 2024.

Goodbye to Highland Park’s 100-year-old theater

The Los Angeles Times reports that the Highland Theatre closed permanently on February 29. After 100 years of operation, owner Dan Akarakian cited an inability to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The building’s landlord, Cyrus Etemad, said he plans to restore the venue and continue using it for theatrical and music purposes.

Photo by Araya Doheny/Getty Images

Mysterious activity at Cafe Tropical

The Eastsider received a tip that free coffee and pastries were being served out of the shuttered Cafe Tropical on February 29. The longtime bakery closed in late 2023 after 50 years in business. If you hear something, drop us a note on the Eater LA tipline: [email protected].

A new restaurant and bar in Montecito Heights

The Eastsider also noted a new filing with the city planning department filed by the Last Word Hospitality crew, which operates Barra Santos and Queen St. The details are for an 89-seat, 3,000-square-foot restaurant with a bar called Hermon’s in Montecito Heights on Monterey Road and Wheeling Way. The filing describes the business as an “American brasserie serving elevated comfort food” with beer and wine.

Ice cream and cereal collab at Salt & Straw

On March 1, Salt & Straw brought back its cereal ice cream line. The Cereal-sly Delicious Series features five flavors created by co-founder Tyler Malek where he combines favorite childhood cereals and the Oregon-based ice cream with flavors like peanut butter brownie cereal puffs, Cocoa Puffs and cold brew, and Cornflake cookies with marionberry jam. Salt & Straw also partnered with the woman-founded cereal company OffLimits for this series. The flavors can be shipped nationwide, with full details available here.

Salt & Straw