Tampa, Fla. — The Melting Pot, a 94-unit experiential dining fondue franchise, has had a hot start to the year with over 30 restaurants reopening after a push to remodel, a new pair of franchise owners joining the system and strong trends in guest count.
“We’re beating last year’s numbers in terms of sales and guest count,” says Collin Benyo, franchise growth strategist. “There are great results that are exceeding our standards, and both the franchisees and guests are feeling that.”
With over 30 restaurants remodeled in line with the Melting Pot Evolution standards, a new, more modern prototype that embraces playful elements that hint to fire and fondue, The Melting Pot is on track to see a total of 60 remodeled reopenings this year alone.
“There has been a lot of good movement of people reinvesting back into their stores and communities,” says Benyo. “We’ve been around for nearly 50 years, and this remodeling effort ensures that we are sticking with industry trends and staying up to date.”
As it continues to expand, The Melting Pot is welcoming hotel partners to the network. Existing hotel owner-operators who have space within their hotels for The Melting Pot to establish a restaurant have the opportunity to partner with the brand.
“This is a new strategy that we’ve been looking at based on the success of the King of Prussia, Pa., location that’s in close proximity to a hotel,” says Benyo. “There’s a symbiotic relationship to be had between a hotel and a world-class operation like Melting Pot, and the great part is that many of these owners already have a hospitality mindset, so they understand food costs, figures, operations and the Melting Pot mindset.”
Founded in 1975, Melting Pot has offered a unique fondue dining experience for more than 45 years. Melting Pot has 94 restaurants in 31 U.S. states and Canada. Melting Pot is an affiliate of Front Burner Brands. For more information, visit www.meltingpot.com and www.meltingpotfranchise.com.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., Front Burner is the restaurant management company for Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.; the new casual whimsical dining concept Melting Pot Social; and fast-casual concept Oronzo Honest Italian! Melting Pot Social opened its first location in July 2021 in Asheville, N.C. Oronzo first opened in Tampa, Fla., in June 2020. For more information, visit http://www.frontburnerbrands.com.
SOURCE: Front Burner Brands