Carrying on a great soup tradition, spoonful by spoonful

For years, Scott McCowan and his wife, Molly, would go out of their way to get a good bowl of soup at The Soup Otzie’s, 3950 S. Howell Ave. 

They loved a good bowl of soup, but they’d never even thought about having a restaurant of their own. Yet last year the restaurant’s longtime owner, Joan Otzelberger, started talking about selling the business, and the McCowans started thinking.

In February, Scott started working at the restaurant to test the waters. He learned the recipes directly from Otzelberger, and in July the McCowans purchased the business. 

Chicken dumpling, mom’s pot roast and cream of potato soups remain daily staples, while they’re introducing specials. The McCowans’ son, Jaden, a 17-year-old student at Nathan Hale High School, also works part-time helping out, while Molly handles social media and bookkeeping.

RELATED:Longtime customers are now the owners at the Soup Otzie's

Buying a business

We actually have been patrons there for about 10 years. We’re from West Allis, so it was a little bit of a hike for us. We loved the owner, Joan (Otzelberger), and the atmosphere. There was this incredible sense of community in the space. We’d visit and talk about how cool it would be to operate a place like this, never thinking it was possible.

We went in last December for my wife’s birthday, and Joan said she was looking to sell. 

Family food roots

I’m half Puerto Rican, and my abuelito was a chef. He’s about five feet tall, and about five feet wide. He has always loved food, and from a really young age I’ve always loved food, typically eating it more than anything. Seeing my grandfather’s enthusiasm and ability to create something out of nothing was incredible, and then seeing his joy watching everyone eating. He’d just sit back, watch the interaction and enjoy everybody. 

I’ve always enjoyed being in the kitchen, but more than anything, I love the dining part and people coming together around the table. That’s what has led me to this. 

Caring by the spoonful

We have such a loyal customer base already, I was hesitant to make too many changes to start. I absolutely had to have Joan as a consultant, as well as her recipes.

Soup is simple, but there’s a lot of nuance that goes into making it well. Learning the specifics of making recipes the right way and making sure textures are correct, that’s important. Every spoonful has to show that care.

Making a menu

We are serving upwards of 80 soup recipes over the course of the year. We have 12 paninis. We’re doing new specials every day. We’ll be looking to expand the menu with fresh ingredients. My wife and I are huge fans of salads, so we’ll be adding things with fresh fruit, nuts, vegetables. 

I just got into contact with MPS to take a look at a program they’re doing for local ingredients. We definitely want to expand and become more local in our sourcing. 

Taking time to transition

I’ve been interning at the restaurant for the better part of this year. I started working there part-time in February and started learning the ropes, interacting with customers and finding if it was a good fit. It was the customers themselves that led me to feeling really confident in this decision. Before that, I was in sales and management…

The way we decided to approach it, my wife works for Marquette University and we have a son who is 17 years old. She’s staying at Marquette. She is the most incredible multitasker I’ve ever met. She’s essentially working two jobs, she handles all social media, the bookkeeping and to make sure things run smoothly. She is the gear that makes the engine go. 

Meeting his match

My wife and I are high school sweethearts. We met at Chuck E. Cheese, in Madison. It was 1996. 

Revamping a restaurant

The aesthetic of what was there was outdated. We absolutely had to make a more welcoming space, but we don’t want to lose the spirit of the diner, which makes this such a unique space. 

There were people who knew this space when it was George Webb’s. The space has a great history. We feel it is a great part of the community.

Soup he can’t live without

For me, it was the lobster bisque. That was what drew me in and kept me coming back. Even more than that, for my wife it is the pork pozole. If there’s only one bowl left, that’s for her. My son’s favorite is cream of potato. 

Cooking to connect

For me, this is about connecting. It is very rare to see people here on their cellphone or on their laptop. My wife always tells me I was born in the wrong decade. For me that is huge, to come in and have people experience life at a slower place, that is something that I really love. We have a passion for bringing that moment to people. 

Fork. Spoon. Life. explores the everyday relationship that local notables (within the food community and without) have with food. To suggest future personalities to profile, email nstohs@journalsentinel.com.