RED BANK, NJ – Fondue is all the rage once again, especially in Red Bank at Melting Pot where you sometimes can’t get a table unless you book in advance.
Who says fondue is stuck in the ’70s? The Melting Pot, the 94-unit franchise that’s got everyone dipping into molten pots of cheesy goodness, is anything but stale. The brand’s robust metrics in restaurant and franchise sectors are cooking up a rather sizzling 2024.
Collin Benyo, the brain behind the franchise growth strategy, hints that The Melting Pot is just warming up. “We’ve got some piping hot plans for this year and the next. Let’s just say we’re stirring the pot, and something delicious is about to bubble up,” Benyo said.
Year to date, the franchise has sprinkled a little renovation magic on 34 of its outlets, and word has it, four more makeovers are in the cauldron for this year. Kicked off in 2022, this facelift spree aims to give all locations a glow-up that would make even Cinderella envious. And hey, it’s working. Last year, over three-quarters of The Melting Pot venues shattered their own sales records like a fondue fork through a strawberry.
Bob Johnston, the big cheese—err, CEO—of The Melting Pot, is keen to ladle on even more success. “2022? Yeah, we aced it. But 2023? We’re cooking with gas now, and there’s no sign of simmering down,” Johnston boasted.
But don’t think for a minute that The Melting Pot’s growth is all in the family. Earlier this year, they handed the franchise keys to a duo from New Haven, Connecticut, who loved the brand so much they just had to share the fondue love with their hometown. Talk about relationship goals!
Adding some extra seasoning to their brand, The Melting Pot took their cheese—and their business pitch—to Fox & Friends this past August. The sizzle reel? A flood of franchise inquiries hit their inbox faster than you can say “more bread cubes, please.”
As for what’s next on the menu? Johnston has his eyes on new cheese horizons, eyeing spots like Lancaster, Pennsylvania; the country music fondue pot of Nashville, Tennessee; and other locales to expand their melted empire. “Stay tuned. We’ve got a lot more in store than just melted cheese,” he winked.