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The buffet line that once drew diners back for bowl after bowl of soup and mountains of salad is coming back to California.

The souplantation chain reopening is officially on the horizon, with the beloved restaurant brand announcing plans to return to the Golden State in 2027.

Souplantation, known as Sweet Tomatoes outside California, said on social media that it plans to open a new restaurant in Fountain Valley, California, next year. The announcement marks a major comeback for a chain that disappeared during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and left loyal customers wondering whether its buffet days were gone for good.

For fans, the return is more than another restaurant opening. It is a reunion with a menu packed with familiar comfort foods, from Tuna Tarragon and Big Chunk Chicken Noodle Soup to Joan's Broccoli Madness.

Souplantation Promises the Same Recipes

After several years away, Sweet Tomatoes says customers should not expect a completely reinvented menu.

The restaurant says its recipes will remain the same ones longtime customers remember.

That includes the tuna dishes, soups and broccoli favorite, along with staples such as focaccia bread, Wonton Happiness and cornbread.

The promise of familiar food appears to be a major part of the comeback strategy. For former diners, the return is almost like opening an old recipe box and finding the exact dishes they thought had disappeared for good.

From San Diego to a Pandemic Shutdown

The chain's roots stretch back nearly five decades.

Sweet Tomatoes, known as Souplantation in California, opened its first restaurant in San Diego in 1978. The brand eventually grew into a major buffet chain before the pandemic brought its expansion to a sudden halt.

In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, all of its restaurants closed.

At the time, John Haywood, CEO of Garden Fresh Restaurants, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and said the company would likely have to permanently shut all 97 locations. Pandemic restrictions on self-service stations presented a particularly severe challenge for a business built around customers serving themselves from buffet lines.

For several years, the Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes signs disappeared from restaurant doors.

Then came the comeback.

Sweet Tomatoes Begins Rebuilding

The brand returned to the restaurant landscape in 2024 when Sweet Tomatoes reopened a location in Tucson, Arizona, under new ownership.

This summer, another restaurant opened in Fort Myers, Florida, giving the chain another foothold as it gradually rebuilds its presence.

Now California is next.

Marlee Lossing, Sweet Tomatoes' director of corporate affairs, said the company currently plans to open just one California location. But the door is not closed on additional restaurants.

"We’re always evaluating markets and opportunities for future expansion," Lossing said.

The Fountain Valley announcement has already triggered a wave of nostalgia among longtime customers, particularly in the brand's original home state.

Fans Want Souplantation Back in San Diego

Some California followers immediately pleaded for the chain to return to San Diego, where the story began in 1978.

But for plenty of diners, the exact California city appears to matter less than simply having Souplantation back.

Social media commenters said they were prepared to travel to Fountain Valley for another taste of the buffet. Some fans went even further, recalling that they had already made the trip to Arizona just to experience Sweet Tomatoes again.

The enthusiasm highlights the unusual staying power of a restaurant that has been absent from California for years.

"We’re incredibly excited to have the opportunity to bring this experience back to so many loyal guests in California," Lossing said.

For former Souplantation regulars, the 2027 reopening could bring back more than soup, salad and bread. It could restore a familiar ritual that disappeared almost overnight — one plate at a time.