UTCLiving

From the Washington Business Journal: http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2008/10/27/daily24.html

Three new restaurants at the University Town Center have started serving customers.

The Mongolian Grill, Create A Salad and Tokyo Sushi opened in Hyattsville next to Old Dominion BrewHouse along Independence Plaza, which opened its doors last month.

The neighboring restaurants represent a packaged concept that their owners, the JRC Group LLC, first rolled out at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The salad spot is a new addition to the cluster at UTC.

The eateries share a large kitchen, so a California roll from the sushi bar could be accompanied with a beer from the brew house.

Combined, the four restaurants occupy 10,000 square feet.

Added to the restaurants already open at the $1.2 billion mixed-use UTC project, the 13 spots make up the largest clump of eateries at any one site in Prince George’s County.

“Bringing in new restaurants is a top priority for the county, as our population and economy continues to thrive and the demand for retail expands,” said Kwasi Holman, president and chief executive of Prince George’s County Economic Development Corp., in a statement.

Recently-executed leases at UTC include WMATA taking 40,000 square feet and a 50,000 square-foot lease with FEMA.

Following a year-long delay, the Original SoupMan will open in Hyattsville.

In early October, Prince George’s County native Athena Ware Hernandez, her business partner Jermaine Young, and her father, James Ware Jr., will open an Original SoupMan restaurant at 6504 America Blvd. in University Town Center.

The opening was delayed for a year due to a slowed construction and permit process, said Hernandez.

It will be one of only two minority-owned franchise locations to open outside of the New York metro area and the first in Maryland.

The 700 square-foot spot will serve 50 soups created by Al Yaganeh -- the man who inspired the famous “Seinfeld” episode that featured the “Soup Nazi” -- who still oversees the production of his recipes. Consistent with his original shop’s service, each soup includes a crusty baguette, fresh fruit and a piece of imported chocolate.

The restaurant will also carry a menu of salads, sandwiches and smoothies.

Hernandez, a communications specialist at the National Capital Planning Commission, originally had plans to open up another SoupMan in Union Station -- a plan which has since lost steam.

“There is currently no plans to go to Union Station now,” said Hernandez. “When we started this process, we were slated to open there, but once Union Station received new majority owners they decided to have other development plans for the location.”

She said, however, that the company holds licenses to go elsewhere. Its corporate office has “had conversations” with National Harbor, she said.

She is also looking to possibly open up a site in Fashion Centre at Pentagon City.

But that is a long-term plan, said Hernandez, since it “would be a matter of them having a space as it becomes available” in the mall.

Since it opened in New York City in 1984, patrons often waited outside in all kinds of weather to sample Yanganeh’s flavors, including lobster bisque and jambalaya, at his Soup Kitchen International.

After 20 years, he closed the business in 2004 to launch a franchise and retail line of “heat-and-serve” soups, which are primarily available at Costco and Target stores nationwide.

As part of her grand opening, Hernandez plans to award one customer with free soup every day for the rest of his or her life. The new restaurant will also donate $1,500 to the Capital Area Food Bank on behalf of Yeganeh’s charity, Al’s Feed the Hungry Foundation.

With each new Original SoupMan franchise opening, the franchisee may donate to a hunger charity in that location’s market.

Each Original SoupMan restaurant rotates eight to 10 soups a day.