Zoup! Schedules Mentor Grand Opening For Early October

Mentor's Zoup! location has an opening date -- October 4.

But if you can't wait until then, there's a way to snag an early bowl of soup and support a local school.

As part of its grand opening celebration, Zoup will host a pre-opening fundraising event from 5 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 3 to benefit St. Mary of the Assumption Elementary School.

For a $5 donation, guests can enjoy a bowl of soup, a big hunk of bread and a fountain drink with all of the proceeds going to the school.

Zoup's newest location will be 7327 Mentor Ave., the former home of Dots in the Points East shopping complex.

The Mentor location will be run by franchisees Jamie and Kathy Buzzanca.

"We are excited to bring the Zoup! brand and culture to the Mentor area," said Jamie Buzzanca in a statement. "Zoup! is a unique concept, and we are anxious to offer local residents hundreds of soups as well as delicious sandwiches and salads."

As one can presume from its name, Zoup! specializes in soups. It offers hundreds of different types that it rotates on a daily basis, including low-fat, vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free options.

The chain began in Detroit, MI, and now has more than 40 restaurants in 11 states. The Mentor location will be the 11th in Ohio.

October will be a big month for the Points East shopping compex. In addition to Zoup, the new Melt location opens on Oct. 15.