Yesterday, I had to go to a business meeting that was two blocks away from the real "soup Nazi". Naturally, I couldn't resist checking out the place. BTW, it's Soup Kitchen International on 55th Street, just east of 8th Avenue, in Manhattan. (The name isn't on the awning; it just says something like "Hot & Cold Homemade Soup".)
The place is much smaller than the one on "Seinfeld". There's a serving counter where the entrance should be; customers don't walk inside. It has a chalkboard that lists the soups available that day. (About a dozen varieties, three sizes ranging from what looked like 12 oz. to 1 quart. Prices ranged from $5.50 to $12.00; at those prices, it had better be good!)
Around lunchtime, when I stopped by, there was a line of about 30-40 people waiting to be served. It looked incongruous on this otherwise undistinguished street. The customers were queued in nearly complete silence.
While I was there, the one employee came out to cross out the name of a soup that had sold out. There was nary a murmur from the line of customers.
The actor who played the owner in the "soup" episode resembles the real owner. (I deduced who the owner is by using a simple rule of thumb: the owner is the one who handles the cash.)
The owner conducted his business in complete silence. Customers quietly stated what they wanted and handed over the money. The owner said nothing, never smiled, and never changed his expression. It looked eerily like what one would expect to see in a prison camp. It was so bizarre that the "Seinfeld" writers had need to exaggerate in the "soup" episode.
The following sign is posted above the cash register:
For Most Efficient
And
Fastest Service
The Line Must Keep Moving
Pick the Soup of Your Choice
Move to Your Extreme Left
After Ordering---Alvin H. Nichter Coyright (c) 1996, Alvin H. Nichter. Permission to reproduce in any form is granted provided credit is given.