MISSOULA — A new Missoula restaurant is trying to take hold of a niche market in a unique way
Soup fans in the area can rejoice SoupFarm is finally open and they are doing things a little different for environmental sustainability. They are also using a farm to table model to create a fresh changing menu.
"We were talking about opening a soup place we talked about how it would be a good niche thing for Missoula, and we kind of just said 'let's go for it and there it is'," owner Carl Sievers said.
"We wanted to start something simple right and. Then we can kind of move on from there but the great thing everyone like soup," added owner Laura Waters
It's not just soup on the menu -- there are also salads and sandwiches all using fresh produce sourced from Montana and some neighboring states.
"The farm aspect is we have a lot of good relationships with our local farmers, we just got a delivery today of fresh peaches," Waters explained. "So, I mean we let the farmers do all the hard work and then we just showcase our hard work into our food."
SoupFarm even has a unique utensil model to contribute to a healthy environment.
"We're trying to not use plastic silverware single-use silverware. So, we will just give people a metal spoon [and] ask them if they can bring it back. That’s great [but] if not, that’s ok too; you’ve got an extra camping spoon," Sievers said about the program.
"Just please don’t throw it in a landfill. In the neighborhood, we will have people just stop by and drop off a couple of spoons from the last time they were in. Its been working so far," he added.
Waters also says that the metal spoons they are using are only 4 cents more expensive than the recyclable plastic ones they would have used. The farm to table model means their menu will continuously change and you can see some new items in the fall.
SoupFarm is located at 901 North Orange Street in Missoula, just south of Interstate 90.
