"Souplantation is permanently closing every location, effective immediately. Headquartered in San Diego County, where the first Souplantation opened in 1978, the all-you-can-eat chain now numbers nearly 100 outposts across the country. Known as Sweet Tomatoes outside of Southern California, the chain faced financial challenges due to the pandemic and could not sustain operations, leading to the loss of 4,400 jobs. The buffet-style, serve-yourself concept also faced issues with customer concerns due to COVID-19." - Candice Woo