Industry Restaurant Number of locations 142 | Website www.meltingpot.com Founded 1975 | |
 | ||
Area served United States, Canada, Mexico Services Casual dining, specializing in fondue Headquarters Tampa, Florida, United States Areas served United States of America, Canada, Mexico Profiles | ||
The Melting Pot is a chain of franchised fondue restaurants in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Tampa, Florida based company had 142 locations as of August 2009, with 28 more locations under development. The Melting Pot menu contains various cheese fondues, wines, salads, entrees of meat and seafood served with dipping sauces and oil or broth to be cooked in, and chocolate fondues. It is part of Front Burner Brands.
Contents
History
The first Melting Pot opened in April 1975 in Maitland, Florida – a suburban city of the Orlando Metropolitan Area – and served only three items on its menu. With permission from the original owners, Mark, Mike and Bob Johnston opened The Melting Pot of Tallahassee in 1979. As the restaurant expanded its franchise, the menu grew larger. In 1985, the Johnston brothers purchased all rights to the Melting Pot brand.
On June 1, 2008, the original location in Maitland closed. The Company currently has one location open in Canada: in Edmonton, Alberta. Their Richmond Hill, Ontario location closed in March 2013.
Design
The restaurants' interiors are designed using dark red and black colors. They are dimly lit; all seating is mostly in booths, with private booths away from the main room.
Headquarters
Its headquarters are located in Tampa, Florida.
Menu
A complete meal features a cheese fondue, a salad, main course and a chocolate fondue for dessert. The four courses are offered individually or as a "4 Course Experience." The 4 Course Experience includes one of several preset entrees, one serving of cheese, one salad, and one serving of chocolate. Main courses are still fondues, but include more typical entrees of meat, poultry, pasta and seafood. As you are cooking your food in a designated type of broth, it becomes more interesting. The franchise also produces "special-occasion" packages for anniversaries, weddings and other events.
Criticism
The company is criticized for its prices but praised for its food. The price of its food, either per person or per portion, is acknowledged to be in a high range. However, the franchise continues to draw customers, thus its success may be attributed to the unique dining experience of fondue and the overall quality of its food.
Community involvement
It supports the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in the fight against childhood cancer. The company sponsors annual fundraising programs and local special events whose proceeds are contributed directly to the hospital. The company also contributes a portion of proceeds from designated in-store purchases. Each individual restaurant also sponsors many different charities throughout the year.