Has a heartwarming bowl of handcrafted soup on the North Vancouver waterfront been missing from your life? If so, the wait is almost over.
On Saturday, May 27 at 11:30 a.m., The Soup Meister’s Nephew will reopen the beloved counter on the ground floor of Lonsdale Quay that was run by Ralf Dauns for 27 years, before he died in November.
Well aware of the huge shoes he has to fill, Evan Paul is taking up the ladle from his late uncle Ralf to carry on The Soup Meister legacy.
Much of the business will be familiar to frequenters of the favourited soup counter, said Paul.
“I’ve been in touch with seven of his existing staff,” he said. “They’re all going to be coming back.”
The Lonsdale Quay stall will look almost identical, Paul added, with the exception of a new logo that pays tribute to the original design.
As for what’s on the menu, The Soup Meister’s Nephew is sticking to Dauns’s traditional recipes while adding a few twists. Big sellers like Boston Clam Chowder and Italian Wedding will be returning, but greener options like a Hearty Vegetable and Roast Potato Leek, as well as a Vegan Broccoli Cheddar, will be making their debuts. Will the new additions be a hit? Paul said his plan is to “just see how it goes.”
When it comes to his role in the business, Paul said he will mirror much of his uncle’s approach.
“I’ll be doing dishes, I’ll be chopping vegetables, I’ll be serving soups, I’ll be customer facing,” he said. “It’s going to be very much a dynamic role of integrating myself into this place.”
As a child, cooking was always a passion for Paul, whose grandma would enlist him to help in the kitchen instead of watching TV after school. Then, after retiring from the military in 2018, Paul went to BCIT where he earned a degree in business administration. While he was in school, Paul would take the SeaBus and join his uncle for afternoon coffee while he was doing inventory and orders.
Paul said his family is all very excited for him to carry on the legacy. “They’re really supportive. And they’re all wanting a demi glace,” he laughed.
Paul hopes to also receive a warm embrace from local soup lovers.
“I’m excited to be doing this, and I’m hoping that the community accepts me and my recipes just as well as they welcomed my uncle Ralf.”
