The region’s only restaurant devoted solely to soup, opened last Tuesday. “Crock & Roll” hopes to make soup a focal point of the Roanoke Valley’s food scene with different homemade selections served daily.
“Soup is one of society’s greatest creations, but we saw a real lack of quality soups in the Roanoke Valley,” says Charles Hooper, a Roanoke native and former Los Angeles-based actor/producer who recently moved back to the area to partner with his mother, Bonnie, to open Crock & Roll at Towers Mall. “We are looking to bring in the newest food trend, soup, to Roanoke ahead of the curve. We want to show people that the recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation don’t have to be stale and old.”
True to its name, the restaurant’s menu will focus on soup and fresh bread along with a signature salad. Crock & Roll also will feature a savory bread pudding served in the evenings and salty meats and cheeses combined with freshly baked bread.
The 1,148 square-foot restaurant seats about 20, with additional tables on an outdoor patio during warmer months. The interior, patterned after a modern Parisian bistro, was designed to be simple, sleek, inviting and free of clutter to focus on one thing only – the soup.
“Soup is good for these times we live in,” says Bonnie Hooper.” It’s comfort food, it’s nutritious and wholesome, it’s easy to eat and is a good value. It’s also the perfect food to slow down and enjoy good company.” Bonnie Hooper has been cooking soups for 30 years, and Charles has been serving up soups since he was 11. Previously, he consulted with restaurants and came across the soup trend at some of LA’s trendiest spots.
“We can breathe new life into classics and introduce people to new flavor profiles and techniques that will broaden their culinary world without pretension,” said Hooper. Soup nourishment passed from generation to generation now has a home in the Roanoke Valley.
Crock & Roll hopes to drive take-out traffic with healthy, fresh selections served quickly with plenty of parking in front of the restaurant. The mother-son team also plans to offer delivery. Prices range from $6.50-$7.50 for a crock of soup that has a pound of ingredients in each bowl and a piece of fresh-baked bread. Crock & Roll will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
