The KD Poppa's Story

Born and raised outside of New York City, Chef Rob Hodes knows good food. Upon graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 1989, Hodes moved to St Louis where he started his culinary career at the Seven Gables Inn. Spending the next 5 years there honing his skills, Hodes worked his way up from line cook to executive Chef and was responsible for 2 successful restaurants in the early 90’s, Chez Louis and Bernard’s.

In 1994, he purchased Tel Aviv Deli and rapidly transformed it into Pumpernickels Deli, soon to become the premier Jewish style deli in St Louis. Over the next ten years, Hodes perfected his catering techniques and soup recipes, all in preparation for the opening of his new store, KD Poppa’s in the spring of 2007.

Located in the Clayton business district, KD Poppa’s served salads, sandwiches, and offered 10 different soups on a daily basis. Hodes truly mastered the art of soup making at KD Poppa’s. Using only the freshest ingredients, all of his soups are made the old fashioned way, with lots of love. Using traditional cooking techniques, KD Poppa’s soups are complex, rich in flavor, and absolutely delicious.

The nutritional value of soups has been well documented. Combining liquids and solids in the same food has proven to be excellent for digestion and generally good for your overall health. All of KD Poppa’s soups start with poly-unsaturated soy bean oil, making them low in fat and cholesterol.

Now available for wholesale and retail soups and catering, KD Poppa's offers a wide variety of culinary treats. If you want delicious fresh soups to sell in your restaurant, frozen soups to ship to loved ones and friends, or catered events tailored to your specific needs, KD Poppa’s is for you!