Darn Good Soup is preparing to open a standalone restaurant on Bloomington's westside, possibly as soon as later this week. The move marks the next step for a soup shop that only returned to the city last November after a years-long absence, and it comes as current owners Pat and Jamie East have been steadily growing the brand's footprint around south-central Indiana.
The Easts bring a business-building background to the expansion. They co-founded Hanapin Marketing, a Bloomington digital advertising firm that they sold to UK-based Brainlabs in 2020; Pat East later led The Mill, the city’s entrepreneurship and coworking center. That experience gives the couple a different path into restaurant ownership than a first-time operator, though food service is a new field for them. The Easts’ business history spans both a growing company and local startup support.
News of the westside location was reported by The Herald-Times, which said the opening could come later in the week. The westside restaurant is planned for 3860 W. Third St., will operate daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is expected to offer eight to 10 soups daily. It is an additional customer-facing location, with Darn Good Soup also being offered at both Chocolate Moose locations.
That arrangement began on Nov. 20, 2025, when Darn Good Soup returned to Bloomington under the Easts' ownership after five years away, operating out of a new location rather than its old downtown storefront. According to ipm.org, the soups were prepared at One World Kitchen Share and then transported to The Chocolate Moose at 405 S. Walnut St., where they were sold daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Why The Easts Leaned on The Chocolate Moose
Pat and Jamie East chose to partner with The Chocolate Moose rather than build a solo operation from the ground up. The Indiana Daily Student reported that the couple said doing so let them concentrate on the recipes, the food and the customer experience instead of the logistics of standing up a new restaurant.
When the soup shop relaunched, its opening menu featured eight varieties: broccoli cheddar, chicken tortilla, chili, corn chowder, lentil spinach, potato poblano, sweet potato coconut and West African chicken peanut, per the Indiana Daily Student's earlier coverage. The lineup has since grown considerably. A more recent review from the same outlet put the current roster at 71 different soups in rotation, with around 10 options available on any given day.
Two Permanent Soups, Plus Daily Dietary Options
Two soups have earned a permanent spot on the menu no matter the day: chicken tortilla and lentil spinach, with everything else rotating through, the Indiana Daily Student's review noted. The shop also builds in dietary variety daily, with the menu always including at least one dairy-free soup, one gluten-free soup and two vegan options, according to that same report.
The Easts have also taken steps to make sure the soups taste the way longtime fans remember. Per ipm.org, the couple hired a former Darn Good Soup chef and stayed in contact with original owner Nels Boerner to help preserve the original recipes' taste. Beyond Bloomington, Darn Good Soup now operates a second location inside The Chocolate Moose's Nashville, Indiana, shop, the Indiana Daily Student's review reported.
The revival also involves a transfer of the brand’s culinary assets, not just its name. Pat and Jamie East bought Darn Good Soup from founder Nels Boerner, including 66 original recipes, and hired a former chef while staying in touch with Boerner to preserve the familiar flavors. Their joint venture with The Chocolate Moose shares more than counter space: the businesses also share staff and a sales system, while soup and ice cream demand tend to peak in opposite seasons. That arrangement connects the relaunch to a broader question of how local businesses continue under new ownership.
A Winding Road Back From Closure
Darn Good Soup's return follows the closure of its original store at 107 N. College Ave. on the downtown square, which The Herald-Times placed in March 2021.
Looking further ahead, the Easts have discussed restaurant and wholesale expansion, according to ipm.org. For now, the focus appears to be on getting the westside Bloomington restaurant open at 3860 W. Third St., with daily hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and eight to 10 soups expected each day.
Opening a new restaurant in Bloomington also requires approvals beyond getting the kitchen ready. The city’s guide for new and remodeled food-service establishments says operators need sign-off from relevant city and county departments before opening, and that Monroe County requires a food license before a food establishment begins operating. Those rules apply broadly to new food-service businesses, making the final steps for a standalone location different from adding soup service inside an existing partner’s shop. Bloomington’s food-service opening guide outlines the local approval process.
