Roughly six years ago, Al Yeganeh, the curmudgeonly soup chef who inspired the "Soup Nazi" character on "Seinfeld," closed his restaurant on West 55th Street in Hell's Kitchen to open franchise stores. The result: the Original SoupMan, a series of eateries and stores across the country that boast Yeganeh's name, his soups and his legendary rules for ordering. (Among them: Have your money ready before you order.)

This week brings news that Yeganeh is re-opening the West 55th Street location in July, but under the Original...