Souplantation’s California Return: Fountain Valley in 2027

Where in California will Souplantation return?

The announced city is Fountain Valley, in Orange County. Souplantation confirmed the planned opening after its sister brand, Sweet Tomatoes, teased a California return on social media. ¹

The specific restaurant address has not been confirmed. SFGATE reported that the site may be the former Souplantation at 11179 Talbert Ave., which has been closed since the pandemic, but described that possibility as unconfirmed. ¹

That distinction matters for anyone trying to make plans: the city is known, but the precise destination is not. A mention of a former address should not be treated as confirmation that the restaurant will reopen there. ¹

When is the new Souplantation supposed to open?

The company has said the California restaurant is planned for 2027. It has not provided a month or a specific opening day, so the schedule remains broad. ¹²

That timing is a plan, not confirmation that construction is complete or that the restaurant is ready to serve customers. The available reports do not give a construction schedule or describe what work, if any, is underway. ¹

Readers looking for an exact date will need to wait for a further announcement. At present, it is accurate to say “planned for 2027,” rather than to name a season or predict a particular day. ¹²

How many California locations are planned?

For now, the company has announced one California location. Sweet Tomatoes’ director of corporate affairs told Patch that only one location had been announced. ²

That does not establish whether the company might announce more later. The sources provided do not describe a wider California expansion plan or name any other planned sites. ²

So far, the news is about a single planned restaurant, not a statewide rollout. Anyone searching for a location in another California city should know that none has been identified in these reports. ²

What happened to Souplantation before this return?

Souplantation was the name used in Southern California for the buffet chain whose sister brand operated elsewhere under the Sweet Tomatoes name. The chain began in San Diego, where its first restaurant opened in 1978. ²³

The restaurants closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The planned Fountain Valley restaurant would bring the brand back to California, but the sources do not say whether its menu, service format, or prices will match the earlier restaurants. ²³

The name is familiar to former customers, but a return of the brand does not by itself answer what the new restaurant will be like. The available announcements focus on the state, city, and planned year; they do not provide operating details. ¹²

What should customers wait to hear before making plans?

The next useful details would be the confirmed address and a more precise opening date. SFGATE reported that Sweet Tomatoes expected to share location information on social media, but its reporting identified Fountain Valley without confirming the exact site. ¹

The available sources also leave practical questions unanswered, including opening hours, menu, prices, and whether the restaurant will use the same buffet format. Until the company provides those details, customers should treat them as unknown rather than assume the new restaurant will be identical to the old one.

For now, the clearest summary is simple: one California location is planned for Fountain Valley in 2027, while its exact site and launch date remain unsettled in public reporting. The former Talbert Avenue restaurant is a possibility mentioned in coverage, not a confirmed address. ¹²