In 1979, two brothers — Mark and Mike Johnston — became the first franchisees of The Melting Pot, opening their first location in Tallahassee, Florida. Like all restaurateurs, they needed employees, and they had a specific need for some extra help in the dish room and the kitchen.

They found it in their 14-year-old brother, Bob.

“It’s really there that I developed a passion for The Melting Pot, and for the hospitality industry,” said Bob Johnston, who later worked the dining room floor as a server. “I fell in love with it because I loved putting on a show every day, and I liked seeing the smile on people's faces when they were enjoying themselves.”

Bob wasn’t an aspiring entrepreneur or restauranteur like his brothers. He wanted to be a photojournalist. In 1981, Mark and Mike opened a second Melting Pot location, and Bob eventually went to college for photojournalism — until 1985, his junior year, when he dropped out of school.

It was a hard right turn, he said. But he had a plan.

That year, Bob moved to Tampa, Florida, where he and his brothers purchased all rights to The Melting Pot brand and established The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. Today, more than 35 years later, that boy who started as a dishwasher in his older brothers’ restaurant is now the Chief Executive Officer of Front Burner Brands, the restaurant management umbrella that oversees multiple concepts, including The Melting Pot.

Since 1985, the brothers have grown The Melting Pot to nearly 100 locations worldwide and have plans to reach 125 open units by 2026. For decades, it’s been a desirable concept for franchisees, but there may have never been a better time than now to own a Melting Pot franchise. 

Here are five reasons why.

The Melting Pot Supports Its Franchisees — Because They Know What It’s Like

Having started as franchisees themselves over 35 years ago, giving its franchisees the tools necessary to thrive as business owners is a core value for The Melting Pot.

“We make restauranteurs out of franchisees,” said Johnston. “Some of our most successful franchisees were not in the restaurant business before. We have an enormously talented team of more than 50 people at the franchisee support center whose job is to help train franchisees in a myriad of different areas. Because if they’re successful, we’re successful, too.”

The Melting Pot is currently enjoying a period of tremendous brand success, largely because it has met the pandemic and the challenges that have come in its wake head-on. 

One example of this is how its marketing team has developed new concepts to boost sales on traditionally off-nights. They’ve turned Wednesdays into “Friendsday,” inspiring a boost in large parties on those nights, and Thursday has become “Thursdate,” boosting sales by attracting increased date-night business and effectively turning Thursday into a weekend night in their restaurants. 

It’s strategies like these — which they created and extended to franchisees to help them grow their businesses during uncertain times — that have contributed to the brand’s overall momentum.

“We've done some smart things from a marketing and menu offering perspective,” said Johnston. “We’re proud of that. But the lion's share of the credit for our success goes to the concept itself and the uniqueness of the experience it offers.”

A Truly Unique Business Model

The Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant that offers an interactive dining experience where guests cook and eat their food right at the table. So it’s more than just a place to go eat. it’s a place where you can gather around the fondue pot and create memories with friends and families. 

“Our guests choose us because they're celebrating something special, or maybe they just want to escape and have some fun, be entertained and create some memories with the people close to them,” said Johnston. “The Melting Pot experience is as much about what's going on around the fondue pot as what's in the fondue pot.”

Memorable dining experiences are what diners value most. According to a recent survey, 75% of consumers say that unique dining experiences are worth paying more for. Now, after the pandemic, guests are hungrier than ever for the kind of experience they can’t get anywhere else. 

Because it’s not like other restaurants — both in concept and operationally — it’s a unique entry point for franchisees, whether they have restaurant experience or not.

Ease of Operation

The Melting Pot doesn’t have a typical restaurant kitchen. Recooks — food sent back to the kitchen because it was either cooked incorrectly or sent out wrong — can throw a wrench into even the most efficient kitchen’s operation on a busy night, resulting in frustration for guests, servers and managers alike. It can also discourage repeat business.

At The Melting Pot, steaks don’t get sent back to the kitchen because they were overcooked — because the food is cooked at the table by the guests.

This non-traditional kitchen model eases the burden of staffing — from hiring to retaining and replacing team members — as managers are not limited to competing with other restaurants in a limited pool of experienced cooks. This is a tremendous advantage in an industry still affected by labor shortages.

“We can teach anybody how to do what we do,” says Johnston.

A Flexible Real Estate Model

The simplicity of The Melting Pot concept also affords them certain real estate advantages. Because of its non-traditional restaurant model, there is a lot of flexibility with the physical plan and layout of a Melting Pot location. The brand has opened locations at sizes from as little as 3,200 sq. ft., according to Johnston, to the more standard 4,700 sq ft. This allows the brand to pursue real estate options that other restaurants cannot.

“We can consider some locations that other concepts would probably die if they took it,” said Johnston. “Everybody wants an A-plus location, right? But because of the unique nature of The Melting Pot concept and because we’re not a place you go to just stop and eat, we don’t have to be on the corner of Main Street. We’re able to take locations that are less than an A and make them perform like an A-plus.”

This flexibility also makes The Melting Pot an attractive target for conversions. If a restauranteur or business owner has a great piece of real estate, but their business is not performing, The Melting Pot is a great franchise for them to consider as a conversion because of the simplicity of the kitchen and overall layout. 

So whether the building is a retail outlet or it’s already a full-service restaurant, it’s relatively easy and cost-effective to convert it into a Melting Pot franchise.

The Numbers Speak for Themselves

According to Johnston, over the last seven months, Melting Pot sales are consistently up north of 35%, with most weeks seeing 40-45% bumps and some as high as 55%. And with a sales lift of 26% since 2019 — and that's with 2,372 days of zero sales due to COVID-related closures — The Melting Pot is enjoying exciting momentum to start 2022.

“We are blowing the doors off compared to casual dining and polished casual,” said Johnston. “We are very thankful that our customers are supporting us the way they are. We're grateful.”

Whether classified as casual dining or polished casual, the reality is that The Melting Pot is in a class all its own. Because of its elevated dining experience, the brand boasts price-point averages higher than other restaurants in its class, averaging $52 to $55 per person. So it’s a high ticket, made comparatively higher when you factor in the low food and labor costs per guest. 

Even at that price point, The Melting Pot is still receiving its highest value scores from guests.

“It’s because you get a lot for that $52 to $55,” said Johnston. “You're not rushed in and out. You’re not just having a plate of food dropped in front of you. You're able to enjoy yourself, enjoy your company, enjoy the experience and create those memories.”

And it’s franchisees who are enjoying the benefits.

Total investments range from $1.1 million - $1.5 million. For more information, visit: https://www.meltingpotfranchise.com/. 

About Melting Pot

Founded in 1975, Melting Pot has offered a unique fondue dining experience for more than 45 years. As the premier fondue restaurant franchise, Melting Pot has 96 restaurants in 31 U.S. states and Canada. Known for offering a variety of fondue cooking styles and unique entrées, Melting Pot’s menu also features cheese fondues, salads, fine wines, spirits and chocolate fondue desserts. Fondue fans can join Melting Pot’s Club Fondue for exclusive promotions, special events and advance holiday reservation privileges. Melting Pot is an affiliate of Front Burner Brands, a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla. For more information, visit www.meltingpot.com. To learn more about franchise opportunities with Melting Pot, please visit www.meltingpotfranchise.com. 

About Front Burner Brands

Headquartered in Tampa, 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 currently has more than 96 restaurants in 31 U.S. states and Canada. Melting Pot Social opened its first location in July 2021 in Asheville, NC. Oronzo opened its first location in Tampa, Fla. in June 2020 and a second location in the Tampa, Fla. area in November 2021. For more information, visit  http://www.frontburnerbrands.com.