ZOUP! is a business that likes to bill itself as a business that is all about the details. It's a culture the company's founder and CEO credits for the rapid accent of the soup-based eatery.
"We are in the detail business," says Eric Ersher, founder & CEO of
ZOUP!. "There are thousands and thousands of details we focus on. That's part of our culture and will remain so as we continue to grow."
Ersher likes to use ZOUP!isms such as "everything matters" when describing the Southfield-based company's culture. He adds that new franchisees are introduced to that culture from day one and if they don't fit, they move on.
That has allowed the 15-year-old company to expand to 50 employees after hiring eight people over the last year. It now has 48 franchises and is in the process of opening another 17 across the northern half of the U.S. Ersher expects to have 60 franchises up and running in North America by the end of this year.
"Our growth is really a function of the success of the original franchisees," Ersher says.
Source: Eric Ersher, founder & CEO of ZOUP!
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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