The passing of one of the owners of a well known, award winning Newark Soup House has residents around the city and county feeling sad.
A recording left on the answering machine of Heaven's Delight Soup House located at 184 Elizabeth Ave. announced that "the business will be closed for the near future because of the September 18th passing of one of the owners, Eric Wade". There was no indication on the cause of Wade's death.
An article from the New York Times newspaper gave high regards to the establishment in a 2012 article written about the quality of soup the business was selling. The news paper wrote,
"Heaven’s Delite is one of a number of New Jersey restaurants and food vendors that specialize in soup, and autumn is the beginning of their busiest time of year.
Eugene Wade, 43, and his brother and co-owner, Eric Wade, 42, bought Heaven’s Delite in 1997 from their brother Clayton Wade, who began the 500-square-foot space as an ice cream counter in 1987.
“We make six soups a day, and usually it’s only in summer we have any left by the time we close,” Eugene Wade said. Soups cost $4.50 to $5.50 a pint, twice as much for a quart.
The brothers’ mother, Helen Wade, who lives in the building with Eugene and Eric and whose recipes Eric uses as the cook, sat in a foldout chair in the corner; Eugene and Eric took turns taking orders at the window.
The brothers never expected to make their reputations with soup.
“When we started, we were selling hamburgers and cheesesteaks. I thought that would be the best thing,” said Eric Wade. But their mother had been saying, “Let’s try soup.”
“I said, ‘Who wants soup?’ ” he said. “But I was wrong. The soup took off.”
(New York Times 2012 Article)
Residents around Newark told RLS Metro that the business was "a staple" in the community and always had long lines for the excellent soup.
RLS Metro send our heartfelt condolences to the family of Mr. Eric Wade. This was our favorite spot for getting great soup.