With ten restaurants, ten soups and a big screen playing the Mississippi State-Ole Miss basketball game, State Theatre will hold the second annual Souper Bowl.
This event, hosted by the Starkville Young Professionals, features the soup making abilities of local restaurants and all proceeds benefit United Way.
The big screen above the State Theatre main stage will show the MSU vs. Ole Miss basketball game.
SYP board member-elect Troy DeRego said the timing of the event was set up so the game is on the big screen and people could come to the State Theatre and enjoy both events at once.
People like to get involved with events like the Souper Bowl in their community, but it takes a little work to get people to act, he said.
“We’re lucky to have a lot of good restaurants in town,” DeRego said. “Anything that gets people out and trying something new is good.”
This year’s participating restaurants are Doe’s Eat Place, Rosey Baby, Old Venice, Bin 612, Restaurant Tyler, Little Building Cafe, Shaherazad’s, McAlister’s, Harvey’s and Grumpy’s.
SYP Chairman Jeremiah Dumas said participation is free for the restaurants.
“They don’t have to pay a fee, but they do have to prepare the soup, provide the decorations and staff,” he said.
Restaurants have the opportunity to win first, second or third place with a bowl from Dandy Doodles as the trophy. They can also win Best of Show for the afternoon.
“The hottest is first, hotter is second place and hot is third. Best of show is voted on by the SYP committee. That is voted on by décor and overall how they participated,” Dumas said.
There will be polling through the afternoon to update people on the current votes.
“[Last year] it went really well,” he said. “We had 16 restaurants. We had about 1,600 people come through.”
The Souper Bowl raised $3500 for the United Way last year, he said.
Grady Dixon, SYP chairman-elect, said sponsorships this year should help to boost that total this year.
“If we get as many people as last year we’ll be giving more money,” he said. We’re hoping to have more people than last year.”
So far, sponsorships have earned the event $2000 in cash donations to donate to United Way and $4000 in services from other businesses.
State Theatre was crowded last year with the restaurant tables and those who came to try the soup, Dumas said. This year they reduced the number of restaurants to try to fit everyone on the first floor.
“The idea is that everyone tries each soup and votes on them, and 16 soups is too much,” Dumas said. “You get little bitty cups of soup. After you taste the soup, you vote for your favorite.”
McAlister’s donated six gallons of soup to the event by handing out six ounce portions at a time, McAlister’s general manager Joel VanDerWeele said.
“It’s not about getting awards or getting your name out there, it’s about helping the community,” he said.
The Souper Bowl will last from 12 to 4 Saturday afternoon. Admittance requires a Souper Bowl button. Buttons cost $15 and can be purchased at the Greater Starkville Development Partnership and Blufish Design Studio or from any SYP member. Admission is $20 at the door.
“It’s a come and go thing. You come, you eat as much as you can and you can get a drink and stay and see who wins, but you don’t have to do that by any means,” Dumas said.