Physician and Pet Magazine Publisher Partner To Revive Beloved Melting Pot Restaurant in Their Community

After over a decade spent “long-distance commuting” to Melting Pot in Sacramento after the location in Reno, Nevada, closed, Bruce and Landess Witmer have signed an agreement to revive the brand’s presence in their community.

The Witmers have long enjoyed family celebrations at Melting Pot and gathered for fondue during their family ski trips; now, they’re excited to bring that same experience to their community as they revive the fondue franchise’s presence in Nevada.

The Witmers took the time to chat with 1851 Franchise to discuss all of this and more. Here’s what they had to say:

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Bruce Witmer: I’m a physician focused on spine conditions. I started my private practice about two and a half years ago. As a solo practitioner, I had some additional freedom, and I started to think about what I wanted to do with it. I inquired about whether Reno was a viable market for Melting Pot, and I began speaking with Collin [Benyo] about the possibility of opening a Melting Pot as a working physician, but one who can control his hours. 

After the conversations became more serious, I found out that my wife had also inquired a few years ago. Neither of us told the other, but we had a long history with Melting Pot — since our kids were five or six — and wanted to bring it back.

Landess Witmer: My background is in fundraising, as a development officer, then publishing. Now, I’m very involved with the horse and pet community in the area. Like Bruce said, I had inquired with Melting Pot a few years ago because of how much our family loved it. We were focused on opportunities with Melting Pot, not opportunities in franchising, so it just worked out well that Melting Pot is a franchise.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Bruce: I knew I wanted to pursue Melting Pot whether it was a franchise or not. We just knew we wanted that feeling back in our neighborhood. Before inquiring, I may have had a sense that it was a franchise, but I hadn’t thought much about it.

With a franchise, many of the bumps you might experience when starting a business have already been smoothed out.

Landess: We’re still learning, but there’s a lot of support. We have both been, briefly, in the hospitality arena, but we knew it would be daunting to start from scratch. As a franchise, Melting Pot had already considered some of the big questions like, “Does the offering fit the community?” and “Is there enough growth potential to make this a viable investment option?”

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Bruce: It was in the early 2000s when Melting Pot left Nevada. We had previously had family dinners there and really enjoyed it. Since it closed around 2007, we would go to Sacramento to eat at Melting Pot. We were long-distance commuters for our celebrations!

Our daughter is now 26, but for as long as we can remember, she was determined to have her birthdays at Melting Pot. She persists with that desire, and that’s just another part of our family story that makes us such strong advocates for the brand.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Bruce: Our market is one where it seems that one location would probably be able to serve the community well. Depending on how it goes, we might consider expanding toward Northern California.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Bruce: We both had a desire to bring this back to life based on our family experiences at Melting Pot. When we did Discovery Day in Tampa, most everyone at the table had not seen a case where one partner had inquired surreptitiously before the other. 

We were both inching our way toward a concept that we thought might be over our heads, but we felt really strongly about doing. So when we found out that the other had that same drive, and the timing was right, we felt even more confident about the decision.

Landess: In addition to our family’s experiences at Melting Pot, we’re also a family of skiers. We like the idea of ending a day of skiing with fondue. Our son would even end a ski day early to make sure he caught the last fondue of the lunch period — he was resolute on it. Fondue, and the concept of coming together to celebrate, talk and eat, has such an important place in our family.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Bruce: I would encourage franchisees to do their research and try to learn as much as possible throughout the process. Once you understand the brand, if your market has the capacity for it, it makes sense to expand to additional locations.

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 92 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, Florida. For more information, visit www.meltingpot.com. To learn more about franchise opportunities with Melting Pot, please visit www.meltingpotfranchise.com.