Hot soup, with its low food cost and high profit margin, is a liquid asset for many non-commercial operations, according to directors. Soup attracts consumer attention and creates considerable sales no matter the weather, operators say. Additionally, operators say soup is almost universally perceived as healthful and affordable—two main reasons for its popularity. Food cost's friend: "Soup sells even when it's hot outside," says Robert Lewandoski, director of food and nutrition at Bayonne Medical Center in New Jersey. "In the summertime, when it's air-conditioned inside, people still order it. And when it's cold out, people like it even more. They see it as a nourishing item. Certainly it is a comfort food, a staple of Western culture. Plus, it's basically low cost even when you spend good money on a high-quality base because you still get a good yield out of it."
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