Sweeps Winner

Oldwick Soup, LLC, dba Love the Soup - NJ

The Oldwick Soup Company, LLC and our brand “Love the Soup!” has been in operation for almost 7 years. We are so proud of the business that we have created for ourselves and the individuals that work with us.

I have been with my husband, Bob, for 35 years, we raised 4 incredible children that are great people. We have tried to be the best people we could be, but life hasn’t always been easy for us. We made the most of the hard times and it has made us a stronger, happier family. During the difficult years, soup was the one go-to that brought our family together. Creating soup was a family affair, it was always our way to connect. It didn’t matter what your culinary skills were, you were going to chop the veggies, stir the pot, or do a myriad of tasks that brought us together as a family.

It was about 32 years ago that Bob said that he wanted to start a soup business. “Soup? Who is going to buy soup?” We were starting a family and the thought of starting a business, especially a soup business, was a NO for me.

In 2017 we both needed a change, and a challenge. We looked at each other and said, “let’s do it, let’s create the soup business.” There was nothing to lose. We were ready: paperwork was in order, we had a spot to sell in a market in Stockton, NJ. On an incredibly hot October day, my fear of starting a soup business was going to come crashing down. As it turned out, we sold out and the business was launched.

Bob had attended the CIA and his thought was to create new soups from old recipes with a new twist and flavor profiles. Today we have a stable of over 60+ soups that are regular and seasonal. The first soup that Bob created was a Thai Coconut Curried Carrot soup. This has been our #1 fan favorite, spanning generations, since day 1, along with so many other incredibly complex soups that have our customers coming back regularly!

In 2020, when the pandemic hit, we pivoted to delivering our soup to our customers door and increased our number of farmers markets. It was a win-win for us and everyone!

Today our son, Jacob, has been handling operations and has done an incredible job growing our business. We are currently working on the framework to create franchise opportunities for people in underserved communities. We believe in giving back and sharing our knowledge and giving a proven successful opportunity to individuals who are motivated and looking for a venture that will be profitable for their families.

Being able to have grant money will help us to get out into the communities around New Jersey and assist people in harnessing their entrepreneurial spirit into a viable business that has supported my family for the past 7 years.