QUINCY — Steve Bunch is now 70 years old and looking to scale back his involvement in the three restaurants he owns.
After learning last year that Zoup!, a fast-casual soup and sandwich restaurant, was being sold to new national owners, Bunch and his wife, Patty, decided it was time to sell their restaurant at 3430 Broadway. The restaurant's last day will be June 29.
WOWorks, based in St. Petersburg, Florida and owned by Center Lane Partners LLC, acquired Zoup! in May 2022. Nation's Restaurant News reported that WOWorks will transform the Zoup! brand into Z!Eats and introduce new menus and restaurant designs tailored to health-conscious consumers. The first Z!Eats store will open in Atlanta in April, with all Zoup! stores expected to be converted to Z!Eats by the end of 2024.
“If we were younger, we would have stayed here,” Bunch said. “I really like the changes that are coming. I'm really encouraged. I think it's going to be new and improved. (WOWorks) has some good ideas and a good product. I think it's going to be a really good restaurant.”
Bunch said his 10-year franchise agreement is over and he no longer needs to lease the space. Bunch and his wife can simply walk away from Zoup! and have a date set for next month to auction off the fixtures, fixtures and furniture in their stores. They can also sell the franchise to someone willing to undertake the renovation of the Z!Eats locations.
“Whoever takes over will experience some immediate changes,” he said. “A lot of the equipment and fixtures will remain, so there's an advantage to buying from us. It'll be an easier transition for (the new owner), but it's still going to be a significant amount.”
“At this point, anything is possible.”
Bunch still owns Tropical Smoothie Café at 3418 Broadway and Chompz Great American Bar and Grill at the Illinois Veterans Home at 1707 N. 12th.NumberTwo Zoup! employees will be transferring to Tropical Smoothie Café.
Bunch said changes in the restaurant industry also influenced the decision to sell the Zoup! franchise.
“The industry was booming, then the pandemic shut it down, and then the industry never recovered,” he said. “Maybe it's starting to pick up a little bit now, but have you ever seen so many 'Hands Wanted' signs in your life?”
“When I was in high school, it was like, 'Is anyone hiring?' Now, everybody's hired. When (Chomps) was 12 years old,Number At Jefferson, I hired 40 people in two months. Their longest stay was a week, but usually it was one to three days. Some of them never came back to get their pay.”
Bunch plans for his sons, Shawn and Joshua, to take over Chomps, with another son, Steve Jr., in a supervisory role. He said he already has the staffing in place to run Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
After 10 years in the restaurant industry and 31 years as a UPS driver, Bunch said he's ready to retire.
“I'd love to travel out west and see where Patty grew up,” he says. “I've never been to Yellowstone. I'd love to be able to move around a little more freely. I'd love to wake up in the morning, go (to Chomps) and say hi to everybody. Spend a couple of hours together. It'd be fun. Or maybe I'll wake up and just want to relax for the day.
“It's a shame this place is closing. It's going to be a day of mixed emotions. It's bittersweet. It's sad to see this place go. Even if the name changes, we're happy to work with anyone.”
