On Christmas morning in 2020, an RV exploded on Nashville’s historic Second Avenue, causing devastating damage and forcing the closure of some businesses in the area for what would be more than five years. The beloved local Melting Pot was one of the businesses affected. While the area began reopening over the past year, franchisee Demetrius Kelley has been working to identify a space that will reflect the atmosphere guests have known and loved for decades while setting the stage for the future of Melting Pot in Nashville. Now, he has secured a space in the former lobby of the UBS Bank building and plans to reopen early to mid-2027.
“We’re coming back. We’re going to take just as great care of our guests as we did before, now with a renewed vigor,” Kelley said. “We never wanted to go away. We never wanted to stop serving the community. Our goal was to be there for all the memories, new adventures and new connections. I would’ve loved to usher in the next generation of fondue fans over the past five years, and that’s what I’m most excited to get back to. Building those lifelong memories.”
Kelley’s drive to revive the Nashville Melting Pot is rooted in a long history with the brand. While he remembers walking past the restaurant as a kid, always thinking about how good it smelled, his journey with Melting Pot really got started in the early 2000s.
He first joined as a server while he worked on his mechanical engineering degree, but when he graduated in 2004, he chose the hospitality industry over pursuing a corporate engineering role.
“All my friends who had gone on to do engineering would say things like ‘It’s okay’ or ‘It is what it is.’ They didn’t seem passionate about it,” he said. “I’ve always been passionate about being in the restaurant business.”
The owner at the time told Kelley he could manage at Melting Pot while he figured out what he wanted to do. He served as a manager for about a year and a half before the general manager role opened up, and he climbed the ranks. In 2009, Kelley became a managing partner in the location. The plan was for Kelley to continue climbing the ranks and gradually take on a larger ownership stake as his business partner stepped back.
“We had this seven-year plan that, by 2023, 70% of the restaurant would be mine. We were a few years into that plan when the bombing happened,” Kelley said. “It was gut-wrenching. I went from having this organized plan to not even having a building. And it was Christmas morning, too. I have three kids, and at the time, the youngest was only nine months old.”
“I’m in the office looking at the news, and I have 150 employees calling me trying to figure out what’s going on with work and their jobs,” he continued. “I’m thinking, ‘What am I going to do for work? I have to take care of these three kids.’ And it’s Christmas morning, and I’m trying not to ruin that for them as they play in the other room. It took a while for that to sink in, then over the course of the next month or so, I focused on helping my employees get unemployment and look for other jobs. They still had bills due in January, right after they had spent a lot of money on the Christmas season.”
As he helped his team navigate this transition, Kelley was also working toward progress on the restaurant during the day and waiting tables as a side gig at night.
Reopening required Kelley to navigate insurance negotiations, downtown historic regulations and city streetscape plans. During the process of getting the restaurant reopened, Kelley officially completed the transition to majority owner and is now entirely responsible for the new location.
Kelley has officially signed a lease for 315 Deaderick Street, Suite 225, with plans to complete a mezzanine expansion to turn the former bank lobby into a second-generation restaurant space.
Throughout the process, Kelley has been acutely aware of the restaurant’s environment. The previous Second Avenue location was in a limestone cellar that was about 30 feet wide. This created a very distinct ambiance and certainly contributed to the intimate aspect of Melting Pot. Reopening in a space with 35-foot floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Capitol will be a clear shift, but Kelley is being intentional about maintaining Melting Pot’s warm, intimate feel, even in the newer space.
“Our goal for the community is to give them the exciting new look of Melting Pot while still keeping it warm and intimate so they don’t lose that element,” he said. “We’re embracing our new environment while still paying homage to our old.”
As Kelley begins the construction process and looks toward a late December or early January opening, he’s looking forward to reuniting with former team members who value true hospitality and meaningful guest connections and, of course, getting back to serving his guests.
“We never had any intention of going away, and I want people to know that we haven’t forgotten them,” Kelley said. “There were guests who would come in every year on their anniversary. There was a guest who would come in every year for a birthday, and they have photos of every one of their child’s birthdays at Melting Pot for decades displayed on their mantle. It hurts us to not have been able to keep that family tradition with you. We don’t want you to feel like you’re not relevant. Your anniversaries, your birthdays — they’re all relevant. You’re relevant. We love you.”
To begin pursuing your future passion project and make an impact in your community, please visit https://1851franchise.com/meltingpot.
Melting Pot
SPONSORED
Demetrius Kelley, who served as a manager at the prior Second Avenue location, is now preparing to revive the beloved fondue franchise in Nashville “with a renewed vigor.”
On Christmas morning in 2020, an RV exploded on Nashville’s historic Second Avenue, causing devastating damage and forcing the closure of some businesses in the area for what would be more than five years. The beloved local Melting Pot was one of the businesses affected. While the area began reopening over the past year, franchisee Demetrius Kelley has been working to identify a space that will reflect the atmosphere guests have known and loved for decades while setting the stage for the future of Melting Pot in Nashville. Now, he has secured a space in the former lobby of the UBS Bank building and plans to reopen early to mid-2027.
“We’re coming back. We’re going to take just as great care of our guests as we did before, now with a renewed vigor,” Kelley said. “We never wanted to go away. We never wanted to stop serving the community. Our goal was to be there for all the memories, new adventures and new connections. I would’ve loved to usher in the next generation of fondue fans over the past five years, and that’s what I’m most excited to get back to. Building those lifelong memories.”
Kelley’s drive to revive the Nashville Melting Pot is rooted in a long history with the brand. While he remembers walking past the restaurant as a kid, always thinking about how good it smelled, his journey with Melting Pot really got started in the early 2000s.
He first joined as a server while he worked on his mechanical engineering degree, but when he graduated in 2004, he chose the hospitality industry over pursuing a corporate engineering role.
“All my friends who had gone on to do engineering would say things like ‘It’s okay’ or ‘It is what it is.’ They didn’t seem passionate about it,” he said. “I’ve always been passionate about being in the restaurant business.”
The owner at the time told Kelley he could manage at Melting Pot while he figured out what he wanted to do. He served as a manager for about a year and a half before the general manager role opened up, and he climbed the ranks. In 2009, Kelley became a managing partner in the location. The plan was for Kelley to continue climbing the ranks and gradually take on a larger ownership stake as his business partner stepped back.
“We had this seven-year plan that, by 2023, 70% of the restaurant would be mine. We were a few years into that plan when the bombing happened,” Kelley said. “It was gut-wrenching. I went from having this organized plan to not even having a building. And it was Christmas morning, too. I have three kids, and at the time, the youngest was only nine months old.”
“I’m in the office looking at the news, and I have 150 employees calling me trying to figure out what’s going on with work and their jobs,” he continued. “I’m thinking, ‘What am I going to do for work? I have to take care of these three kids.’ And it’s Christmas morning, and I’m trying not to ruin that for them as they play in the other room. It took a while for that to sink in, then over the course of the next month or so, I focused on helping my employees get unemployment and look for other jobs. They still had bills due in January, right after they had spent a lot of money on the Christmas season.”
As he helped his team navigate this transition, Kelley was also working toward progress on the restaurant during the day and waiting tables as a side gig at night.
Reopening required Kelley to navigate insurance negotiations, downtown historic regulations and city streetscape plans. During the process of getting the restaurant reopened, Kelley officially completed the transition to majority owner and is now entirely responsible for the new location.
Kelley has officially signed a lease for 315 Deaderick Street, Suite 225, with plans to complete a mezzanine expansion to turn the former bank lobby into a second-generation restaurant space.
Throughout the process, Kelley has been acutely aware of the restaurant’s environment. The previous Second Avenue location was in a limestone cellar that was about 30 feet wide. This created a very distinct ambiance and certainly contributed to the intimate aspect of Melting Pot. Reopening in a space with 35-foot floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Capitol will be a clear shift, but Kelley is being intentional about maintaining Melting Pot’s warm, intimate feel, even in the newer space.
“Our goal for the community is to give them the exciting new look of Melting Pot while still keeping it warm and intimate so they don’t lose that element,” he said. “We’re embracing our new environment while still paying homage to our old.”
As Kelley begins the construction process and looks toward a late December or early January opening, he’s looking forward to reuniting with former team members who value true hospitality and meaningful guest connections and, of course, getting back to serving his guests.
“We never had any intention of going away, and I want people to know that we haven’t forgotten them,” Kelley said. “There were guests who would come in every year on their anniversary. There was a guest who would come in every year for a birthday, and they have photos of every one of their child’s birthdays at Melting Pot for decades displayed on their mantle. It hurts us to not have been able to keep that family tradition with you. We don’t want you to feel like you’re not relevant. Your anniversaries, your birthdays — they’re all relevant. You’re relevant. We love you.”
To begin pursuing your future passion project and make an impact in your community, please visit https://1851franchise.com/meltingpot.
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