The Melting Pot (restaurant)

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.

As of July 2023, there is only one location remaining in Canada, located in Edmonton.[2]

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.

Melting Pot Restaurants Inc. plans to remodel a store a week during 2023,[3] to offer a more open dining room layout. This initiative is being called "Melting Pot Evolution" and is aimed at standardizing the restaurant's look, which of some locations have not changed since the 1980's.[4]

The headquarters are located in Tampa, Florida.

The current CEO of Front Burner, The Melting Pot's management company, is Bob Johnston[2], the youngest brother of founders Mike and Mark, who once worked as a dishwasher as early as fourteen at his brothers' first location in Tallahassee, and by years he got more involved in the growing business until he became the franchise's president and then promoted to be Front Burner's CEO in 2012.[5]

Meals available vary from area to area. 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. The franchise also produces "special-occasion" packages for anniversaries, weddings and other events.

• Official website