Nearly seven years ago, I told you here on Moody on the Market about a chance encounter sort of casual conversation between friends that led to a fast track resulting in renowned local businesswoman Julie Thomsen taking the reins at Zoup! in the Courthouse Square in St. Joseph. In the shadow of the new year, local history essentially has begun replicating a spark of conversation that is leading to Julie’s sale of that booming business to a friend with a decided entrepreneurial spirit ready to keep the Zoup brand advancing to the next level.
Thomsen, who purchased Zoup! in the spring of 2018 from Al Mussman will close on the sale of the business to Samantha “Sam” Droskie on January 31, 2024, following her completion of the intensive training process driven by the team at Zoup! headquarters in Southfield, Michigan.
Sam’s husband, Scott, had been a banking colleague with Thomsen for at least half a dozen years when she left the industry to return to her hospitality roots with her purchase of Zoup! When she recently told him she was thinking of selling the franchise business in the next year or so, he mentioned it to Sam who quickly texted Julie asking for additional information, posing what she jokes “seemed like a million questions, which she answered – probably more than once – and was gracious in sharing her P&L (profit & loss) data.”
Sam will be the first to tell you that she was “immediately interested, while also recognizing that it was going to be a tough decision,” inasmuch as she had a solid, long-running, job as a Legal Assistant for a St. Joseph law firm, “with a great boss.” She adds, “ I also considered this to be something that I can incorporate into a family business, as we have three sons, three daughters-in-law, and four young grandchildren with two more due this year.”
After asking Scott, a financial advisor, to review the P&L data and run the numbers, he gave a ringing endorsement, saying, “It’s a go!”
Following considerable research into the Zoup! brand and their story, Sam says, “I loved that they have hundreds of soup recipes with 12 different soups rotating every day.” She adds, “The fact that they serve their soups with a hunk of bread, just like my mom did for me, and I did for my kids, was a great bonus.” She’s long admired that Zoup! provides free sampling, noting, “How many times have you wanted to try something on a menu, but didn’t because you were unsure of the flavors?”
Following a deep period of prayer seeking guidance, the Thomsens and Droskies broke bread over dinner at Bread + Bar of Benton Harbor and consummated the deal, pending all of the approvals from Zoup! headquarters and Sam’s training. She says that as she began the online training, she was struck by the unique nature of the franchise’s “Zoup-isms,” including advice that “The Customer is Always…The Customer…and it’s never about right or wrong.” She was also delighted by Zoup’s encouragement to “Have Fun, Be Proud…Connect and create an experience…Be Authentic.” Same tells us, “I believe that my years of training as a legal assistant have provided me with the ability to work well with others in all situations and have the ability to work under pressure.”
Meanwhile, Julie will still be very much present in the local marketplace. She and her husband Jim own the Biggby Coffee Shop next door to Zoup! and, Julie and her brother own the entire Courthouse Square complex, which is fully leased to other long running businesses like Mini Mart and Azul Tequila Mexican Bar & Grill.
Julie says, “I’m excited about the Zoup! rrand and their continued vision. Zoup! was bought out in 2020 by WOWORKS which is a top-notch company, and it comes with extensive knowledge of the fast casual brand.” She adds, “We are shifting to a new name called Z! Eats in the future, and everything is made fresh at the store level with the freshest local ingredients.” The soups of Zoup are handcrafted in a local Southfield, Michigan kitchen to ensure consistency and quality.
Julie says that under the Z! Eats branding, “We have flatbreads coming soon and exciting long term offers in the future,” adding, “All Zoup! stores are locally owned, and we pride ourselves on being active in the community with giveback nights and helping with causes dear to our hearts.”
Sales at Zoup! of St. Joseph have increased significantly over the last two years with catering and online ordering and delivery adding to the robust lunch crowds that appear daily. Julie says, “We are very proud of what we have built after purchasing the restaurant from Al Mussman and are so thankful to the community and our wonderful customers for many years of support.”
Noting that her team has “always been consistent and we have enjoyed mentoring the younger generation and often offering them their first job until they leave for college,” Julie adds, “We have hired many friends and their children, and we thank them so much for their support over the years.” Best of all for regulars at Zoup!, Julie and Sam report, “Everyone will keep their job so you will still see the same familiar faces. We could not do this without their support.”
Sam and Scott Droskie attended Julie’s ribbon-cutting ceremony back in 2018 and were beaming with pride for her. They have been regular customers themselves and have fallen in love with the product that now will be theirs to serve. Thinking about that, Sam says, “Julie is a remarkable businesswoman and a wonderful friend,” adding, “When the opportunity presented itself, I knew I would have a great mentor! What a fantastic person to learn from, and I consider myself blessed.”
Just the same, Sam says when she met with the Woworks! Transfer Team for her initial interview, “It was super intense and intimidating…at first, largely due to fear of the unknown. However, the team was super friendly, welcoming, and reassuring,” adding, “They have been nonstop helpful…answering questions and making sure that the ownership transition is a smooth one.”
For Julie, the transition will be bittersweet. After spending four years caretaking for her parents while running multiple businesses, she also admits, “It showed me that we need to travel and live our best lives,” quickly adding, “We are selling just one of our four local companies, so we will still be around, just in a lesser capacity. We will still own Biggby St. Joseph along with long- and short-term residential and commercial real estate.”
The sale is set for January 31st and Julie plans to stay around into the beginning of the summer season for a smooth transition.
Zoup! is located at 119 Main Street in St. Joseph and is open for lunch and dinner from 11am until 7pm from Monday through Saturday, with options for catering, delivery and on-line ordering.
