THE MELTING POT
The Melting Pot franchise allows operators to establish and run polished casual restaurants specializing in fondue dining, featuring cheese fondue, beef, chicken, seafood, and vegetable fondues, chocolate fondue, salads, breads, and a variety of imported and domestic beers, wines, and cocktails, with guests cooking some items at the table for an interactive experience. The business model centers on franchising single-location restaurants that follow the company's proprietary system, standards, designs, menus, and Core Beverage Program requiring alcoholic beverages. It targets individual consumers and the general public seeking relaxed, conversational dining in a unique ambiance.
Franchise Costs
5% royalty + 1.19% brand development fund + $650/mo accounting (first year) + $150/mo WEI + $10-13/mo gift card & comments software + ~$50/mo e-learning
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
Data Based On: Data for 91 franchised restaurants open a full 12 months ending fiscal year March 31, 2024, segmented into top, middle, and bottom thirds. Also includes data for 2 company-owned restaurants (not used for average_gross_revenue calculation).
* Weighted average gross revenue calculated from segmented data for 91 franchised restaurants: (30 units × $3,466,619 + 30 units × $2,133,931 + 31 units × $1,501,275) / 91 total units = $2,357,758.52. Note that the overall 'Average AUV' stated in the table for 'Total Restaurants' (91 units) is $2,501,804, which differs from the calculated weighted average of its segments. Revenue Top Quartile is the average of the Top Third segment. Revenue Bottom Quartile is the average of the Bottom Third segment. No net income, net profit, EBITDA, or overall operating expense data was provided for the franchised restaurants to estimate profit ranges. Only 'Average Cost of Food and Beverages Sold as Percentage of Yearly Gross Revenues' (24.7%) for 3 restaurants in 2023 was mentioned, which is not sufficient or directly applicable to the main 2024 franchised revenue data to make a reasonable profit estimation.
Extracted Item 19 Section
How THE MELTING POT Compares
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
THE MELTING POT Current | $1.4M – $2.1M | $45K | 5.0% | 87 |
| IHOP & INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES | $1.8M – $4.5M | $69K | N/A | 1,703 |
| BUFFALO WILD WINGS | $2.5M – $4.9M | $25K | 5.0% | 538 |
| GOLDEN CORRAL STEAKS, BUFFET & BAKERY | $2.1M – $8.5M | $50K | 4.0% | 352 |
| GOLDEN CORRAL | $2.2M – $8.7M | $50K | 4.0% | 348 |
| ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE (THE) | $483K – $1.7M | $60K | 2.0% | 146 |
Casual Dining Average 44 franchises | $1.5M – $3.5M | $43K | 4.6% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 44 Casual Dining franchises by location count.
Locations & Growth
Outlet Growth Over Time
Total outlets at end of each year
Geographic Distribution (2024)
Outlets by state across the United States
+16 more states
SBA Loan History
Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for THE MELTING POT franchisees (2010 – 2025)
Loans by Year
SBA 7(a) loan activity over time
* Data sourced from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records. Default rate calculated from charged-off loans.
Franchisee Contacts
164 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
| Name | SBA Loan |
|---|---|
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
164 Contacts Available
Unlock all THE MELTING POT franchisee contacts with verified contact information
Due Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
Frequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a THE MELTING POT franchise ranges from $1,364,514 to $2,069,764. This includes a franchise fee of $45,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 5.0% of gross sales.
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