He doesn't want to be called the "Soup Nazi." But whatever you call him, call Al Yeganeh successful. And now the man whose gourmet soups have been a staple in Manhattan since the mid-1980s is bringing his soup franchise to Pittsburgh. The Original SoupMan has established a local franchisee to bring his premium soups to town. Although the 1990s sitcom helped Yeganeh gain acclaim around the country, company spokesman John Rarrick said Yeganeh's Soup Kitchen Inc. was famous in New York long before "Seinfeld," drawing a line of between 300 to 400 people that he was challenged to serve during rush hours. "What people perceived as rudeness was just Al trying to be efficient," Rarrick said. "He acknowledges the fact that (the television show) made him internationally well-known. But he was doing well before that. If you speak to Al from the heart, he'll say he made 'Seinfeld' famous." After more than 20 years of developing 200 to 300 soups, Yeganeh has teamed with CEO John Bello, creator of the SoBe Beverage Co. line, with the goal of opening 1,000 franchise locations in the next five to seven years. Read more: Seinfeld's soup man bringing his gourmet concoctions to Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh Business Times