Souper Jenny to open third location in Westside

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Joann Vitelli

Soup maven Jenny Levison has found a recipe for success.

Amy Wenk

Staff Writer- Atlanta Business Chronicle

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Just as the chilly weather sets in, Atlanta soup maven Jenny Levison is warming up for an expansion.

In early November, Levison signed a lease to open the third location of her cozy lunch spot Souper Jenny in Westside Atlanta.

The roughly 2,500-square-foot restaurant will take the former Urban pL8 space on Huff Road. It's set to open Jan. 6.

"I've been eyeing this particular spot for a couple of years," Levison said in a Nov. 10 interview. "I like that it's sort of up-and-coming. I'm an intown person."

Levison also is testing out the Brookhaven market by opening a pop-up cafe in the Nuts 'N Berries health food store, which is set to open Nov. 18.

The two announcements mark a period of continued growth for Levison, who founded Souper Jenny in 1999 following a career in acting.

Over the past four years, Levison has grown her food empire, or "Planet Jenny" as she calls it, to four businesses. In 2011, she opened Cafe Jonah and the Magical Attic in Buckhead (named for her 11-year-old son). In 2013, she launched Juicy Jenny Community Juice Bar + Superfood Emporium just a few footsteps from the original Souper Jenny on East Andrews Drive in Buckhead. And early this year, she opened a second location of Souper Jenny in Decatur.

Today, she employs nearly 50 people, many of whom are local actors.

The new Westside restaurant will incorporate aspects of all her concepts, Levison said. That means, in addition to its daily selection of homemade soups, salads and sandwiches, it will offer cold-pressed juices, gourmet coffee and baked goods. It also will serve Sunday brunch.

Levison's approach to dining — offering healthy options for people on the go — often leaves lines out the door at her restaurants. She sells some 300 quarts of soup a day during the cold season.

Amy Wenk covers hospitality, retail and restaurants.