JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It'll be a few more weeks until fans can go Super Saiyan. Owners of the highly-anticipated Dragon Ball-themed restaurant, Soupa Noodle Bar, expect to open on the Southside toward the end of October, the concept creator Marshall Phanthachit told First Coast Foodies on Wednesday.
In an email, Phanthachit confirmed the projected opening of the restaurant, located at 4549 Southside Blvd. However, he didn't give a specific opening date.
Initially, the restaurant was supposed to open in the summer, but "it was [delayed] because construction took longer than anticipated," he said.
Soupa is the second location of the Florida franchise, Soupa Saiyan. The first is based in Orlando and opened in 2016. Like the first location, the one in Jacksonville will serve customizable Asian soup. Think ramen and pho, but you get to choose your broth, meats, noodles and toppings.
Immediately, Soupa Saiyan proved to be a haven for Dragon Ball fans, old and new. It is covered wall-to-wall with art and figurines from the Japanese franchise's most popular and recognizable characters like Goku, Vegeta, Adult Trunks and Broly. It also became the spot where you could eat and marathon the anime.
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And when it comes to the new location in Jacksonville, Phanthachit considers it will be "Soupa 2.0."
"When it comes to the look, it's going to be jaw-dropping," Phanthachit teased.
The look isn't the only new thing fans can anticipate. There's going to be self-ordering, too, Phanthachit teased.
We know you can't wait to eat, but kind of like the drawn-out fight between Goku and Frieza, you just got to wait.
But when it does open, all of the Dragon Ball fans will be like:
The restaurant will be located at 4549 Southside Blvd. across from the Tinseltown theater. It will be located next door to Kazu Sushi Burrito and Insomnia Cookies.