 Soup Nazi - The nickname of the tyrannical soup
store operator shown on the episode "The Soup Nazi" (11/10/1994) on the situation
comedy
SEINFELD/NBC/1990-98.
Despite his sour demeanor, the Soup Nazi (Larry Thomas),
made some of the best soup in New York City and avid fans lined around the block
to wait for his savory concoctions.
However, if the Soup Nazi was not pleased with the
way a customer presented themselves at his soup counter, he yelled, "No soup for
you, Next!"
Soups on his menu could include Mulligatawny, Crab Bisque, Turkey
Chile, Jambalaya, Black Bean, Chicken Broccoli, Clam Bisque, Split Pea, French
Onion, Mushroom Barley, Tomato Rice, Wild Mushroom, Cold Cucumber, Corn and Crab
Chowder, Lima Bean and Gazpacho.
At the end of this SEINFELD episode, Elaine
Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) who had been banned from the Soup Nazi's store,
discovered a collection of hand-written soup recipes in the drawer of a piece of
furniture (an armoire) formerly owned by the Soup Nazi. With recipes clutched in
her hand, she triumphantly returned to the Soup Nazi's store and vowed revenge
by threatening to reveal his trade secrets to the WORLD! Soon after Elaine's
visit, the Soup Nazi told his customers he was going to close his soup store and
move to Argentina.
TRIVIA NOTE: The real Soup Nazi (Ali "Al" Yeganeh) worked at
the Soup Kitchen International at 8th Avenue and 55th Street (259A West 55th
Street) in New York City. He didn't appreciate the humor of the episode and
threatened to sue the program if they used the character again.
When Yeganeh
discovered the SEINFELD series was ending in 1998 he said, "it was the best gift
America and the human race got this Christmas. The show really destroyed my
personal life and my emotional and physical well-being. Because of this show,
customers think I'm going to kill them and they panic." (People Weekly 1/12/98
p. 124).
Yeganah closed his store in 2004, but kept the lease to pursue franchise opportunities and a line of frozen soups with the Original SoupMan brand. Then he returned to Manhattan and re-opened his soup store in July 2010. His first store opened in 1984.
See also - RULES & REGULATIONS:
"The Soup Nazi Rules"
External Links
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