08/19/2026
Hello Friends (especially soup lovers),
This has been happening a bit more lately, so we wanted to remind everyone, we aren't able to switch into lunch mode before 11am. We are still in morning bake mode until 10:59 and we switch to quickly set up for lunch.
But for soup specifically, we can't legally serve it until it's at temperature to be sold. The FDA has limits and our local Health Board follows all the legal specifications. Several folks have asked to take the soup cold and heat it up at home. We cannot legally do that. Sometimes our soup isn't up to temp even at 11am, which means we can't sell that soup until it gets to temp.
We know it's sometimes inconvenient, but it's for your food safety. There's a danger zone, especially for foods with dairy or meat in them where improper cooking can cause food-born illness. We don't want that to happen, nor are we legally allowed to offer it.
I hope everyone will understand.
For restaurants, the FDA Food Code requires hot-held soup to be cooked or reheated to 165°F (74°C), maintained at 135°F (57°C) or higher, and safely cooled through the danger zone using a two-stage process dropping from 140°F to 70°F within two hours and down to 41°F within four more hours. Heat soups containing meat, poultry, seafood, or cooked foods to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) for at least 15 seconds. Rapid Reheating: When reheating leftover soup for hot holding on a buffet or line, bring it to 165°F (74°C) rapidly within two hours before placing it in the holding unit. Hot HoldingMinimum Threshold: Keep soup at 135°F (57°C) or higher in soup kettles or bain-maries. Quality & Safety Debate: While 135°F is the legal minimum, culinary preferences lean toward holding soup at 150°F to 185°F to preserve optimal food safety.