TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Melting
Pot® Restaurants, Inc., the world's premier fondue restaurant and a
leading polished casual dining franchise, announced today key
achievements in its strategic growth plan, including operational
and menu enhancements to build on its strong fondue foundation and
position the brand for future international and domestic franchise
development as the restaurant celebrates its 40th
anniversary in 2015.
In 2014, new leadership positions were created to support the
brand's evolution, including the hiring of Maryellen Torres as chief brand officer of its
management company Front Burner Brands while Chef Jason Miller joined The Melting Pot to lead
culinary development. As part of this initiative, The Melting Pot
began developing new ways to fondue with convenient and flexible
dining options to attract new customers while still accommodating
those guests looking to enjoy the traditional fondue experience.
Additionally, the company began testing a new menu line of fully
cooked entrees made in-house to accelerate speed of service and
increase repeat business. Furthermore, the company launched a
localization effort across all of its restaurants giving
franchisees the opportunity to customize their menus with
regionally-influenced fare for the first time since its inception
in 1975.
While The Melting Pot has adapted its menu in response to
changing consumer dining habits, it has remained focused on what it
delivers best – a unique dining experience, a variety of fresh menu
selections and a guest-centric standard of service.
"It's a very exciting time to be part of The Melting Pot – we're
celebrating 40 years in business and positioning the company for
future growth," said Mike Lester,
president of The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. "The decision to
further strengthen the brand's operations and enhance the dining
experience for our guests is a result of extensive consumer
research that was conducted over the last couple of years. We're
thrilled with the progress we've made thus far and look forward to
working closely with new and existing franchisees to build an even
stronger brand in 2015 and for years to come."
The Melting Pot plans to expand its footprint in select markets
throughout the U.S. and overseas. Domestically, the company is
seeking new franchisees in select markets, including Anchorage, Alaska; Dallas, Texas; Hartford, Conn.; and Los Angeles, Calif., as well as Memphis and Chattanooga, Tenn. On the international front,
The Melting Pot is focusing its expansion efforts in target cities
across Brazil, Canada, China, India,
Japan and South Korea. During the first half of 2015,
the company plans to open its first restaurants in Jakarta, Indonesia; Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Underscoring its 2014 achievements, The Melting Pot was ranked
sixth out of 38 concepts in the casual dining segment of
Nation's Restaurant News 2014 Consumer Picks Survey. In the
varied menu/specialty sub-segment of the casual dining industry,
The Melting Pot ranked first in the categories of cleanliness,
service and likelihood to recommend. Overall in the casual dining
segment, the brand ranked second in cleanliness, second in service
and fourth in likelihood to recommend.
The Melting Pot operates more than 130 restaurants in the U.S.,
Canada and Mexico and has more than 20 locations in
development internationally. The concept is known for offering an
assortment of flavorful fondue cooking styles and a variety of
unique entrees served with signature dipping sauces. The
menu features a variety of a la carte selections, highlighting
customizable options that invite guests to enjoy one, two, three or
more courses as they select any combination of individually-priced
cheese fondues, salads, entrees and chocolate fondues.
To learn more about franchise opportunities and available
territories, The Melting Pot is hosting a live webinar on
Thursday, Feb. 12 at 11 a.m. (EDT). To register, please visit
https://fbb.megameeting.com/guest/?id=1654-269072 or contact
Shak Turner, director of franchise
development for The Melting Pot, at 800-783-0867 ext. 105
or sturner@meltingpot.com.
The Melting Pot is seeking entrepreneurs with business
backgrounds and/or preferably restaurant experience who are
passionate about the brand and want to be their own bosses.
Franchisee candidates should have a credit score of 650 or higher,
a minimum net worth of $750,000 and
liquid assets of at least $325,000
per unit. Depending on the real estate site selected, franchisees
can expect the total investment for one restaurant to be
approximately $977,000 to
$1,436,000. Single-unit and multi-unit franchise
opportunities are available with an initial franchise fee of
$45,000 per unit.
To learn more about ownership opportunities with The
Melting Pot, contact Shak Turner,
director of franchise development for The Melting Pot, at
800-783-0867 ext. 105 or sturner@meltingpot.com mailto:or
visit www.meltingpotfranchise.com.
To learn about fondue history and facts, check out The Melting
Pot's fondue infographic.
About The Melting Pot Restaurants,
Inc.
With more than 130 restaurants in
North America, existing locations
across 35 states, Canada and
Mexico and more than 20 locations
currently in development, The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. is the
premier fondue restaurant franchise and a leading polished casual
dining franchise. Founded in 1975, The Melting Pot has offered a
memorable dining experience for 40 years. Guests enjoy a choice of
fondue cooking styles and a variety of unique entrees combined with
dipping sauces. The menu also includes cheese fondues, salads, fine
wines and chocolate fondue desserts. The Melting Pot is an
affiliate of Front Burner Brands, a restaurant management company
headquartered in Tampa, Fla. For
more information, visit http://www.meltingpot.com.
About Front Burner Brands
Front Burner Brands is a restaurant management company
headquartered in Tampa, Fla. It is
affiliated with the corporate owners of and its management services
extended to The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., founded in 1975 with
more than 130 restaurants in North
America and more than 20 locations currently in development
and GrillSmith with five locations in the Tampa Bay area. For more information, visit
http://www.frontburnerbrands.com.
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Fish
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SOURCE The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.