By Elizabeth Ladzinski
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN WEST — The "Soup Nazi" is back in Midtown.
Cranky soup chef Al Yeganeh, the inspiration for Seinfeld's "Soup Nazi" character, re-opened his original Soup Kitchen International location at West 55th Street and 8th Avenue on Tuesday to hundreds of soup lovers — and some Seinfeld fans.
The line stretched around the block, but customers didn't seem to mind the wait.
"I used to wait two hours in line in the winter for the lobster bisque, and now I'm waiting an hour and a half in line for lobster bisque in the summer," said Larry Cappelli, who lives just a block away from the restaurant.
Lobster bisque, chicken vegetable and George Costanza's favorite, turkey chili, were all available. The first 1000 customers received free T-shirts that read "Soup for Me" on the front and "No Soup For You!" on the back.
Yeganeh closed up his Midtown location in 2004 to start a chain of soup stores called The Original SoupMan. The franchise now operates the location on West 55th Street near Eighth Avenue.
As of noon, Bob Bertrand, president of the SoupMan franchise, was unsure if Yeganeh would show up for the event.
"He did not confirm that he would come today, but he did not say he wouldn't come today."
Jerry Seinfeld was banned from the restaurant soon after the famous "Soup Nazi" episode, where actor Larry Thomas depicted Yeganeh as a surly chef with strict rules for ordering soup. The SoupMan hates the "Soup Nazi" moniker.
"He was a businessman," Bertrand said. "He told people move to the left because he had a big line, he wanted to get people through the line. That's all."
