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The Melting Pot (restaurant)

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The Melting Pot
IndustryRestaurant
FoundedApril 1975 (1975-04)[1][2]
Founder
  • Mark Johnson
  • Mike Johnson
HeadquartersTampa, Florida, United States
Number of locations
95 franchises (as of 2026)
Area served
United States, Canada
Key people
ServicesCasual dining, specializing in fondue
Websitewww.meltingpot.com

The Melting Pot is a chain of franchised fondue restaurants in the United States and Canada. The Tampa, Florida based company has 95 locations as of May 2026. 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.[3]

The Melting Pot restaurant in Tallahassee, Florida

History

The first Melting Pot opened in April 1975 in Maitland, Florida – a suburban city of the Orlando Metropolitan Area – and it had only three items on its menu. With permission from the original owners, Mark and Mike Johnston opened The Melting Pot of Tallahassee, Florida in 1979. In 1984, the Johnston brothers purchased all rights to the Melting Pot brand and expanded the business into a franchise.[4][5] As of May 2026, the chain currently has 95 locations in the United States, 15 of which are in Florida.[1] As of May 2026, there is also one location in Canada, located in Edmonton.[6]

In 2023, the company began selling food products online, in partnership with Omaha Steaks, and in some major grocery chains.[5][7]

Design

In April 2023, Melting Pot Restaurants had plans to remodel a store per week,[8] to offer a more open dining room layout. This initiative was being called "Melting Pot Evolution" and was aimed at standardizing the restaurant's look, as the decor of some locations had not changed since the 1980's.[9]

Headquarters

The headquarters are located in Tampa, Florida.[5]

Management

The first CEO of The Melting Pot was Bob Johnston,[6] the youngest brother of founders Mike and Mark. Bob had once worked as a dishwasher as early as age fourteen at his brothers' first location in Tallahassee.[10] He served as the company's CEO until July 2025, when John “JC” Crawford, previously the EVP of Operations, was named the new CEO.[11][12]

References

  1. "All the Melting Pot Restaurant Locations | the Melting Pot".
  2. "Own a Melting Pot Franchise". meltingpotfranchise.com. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  3. "Front Burner grows three brands" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 10, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  4. "History | Melting Pot Restaurants". www.meltingpot.com. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  5. McCarthy, Amy (February 26, 2024). "Meet Me at the Melting Pot?". Eater. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  6. Stern, Gary (July 19, 2023). "How The Melting Pot Fondue Restaurant Keeps Thriving After 48 Years". Forbes. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  7. "Where To Buy Melting Pot Fondue | Fondue at Home". Melting Pot at Home. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  8. Ruggless, Ron (April 26, 2023). "Melting Pot plans to open a remodel weekly through 2023". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  9. "Not Your Father's Melting Pot: Buffalo Refreshes The Melting Pot Location with Updated Dining Experience". Yahoo Finance (Press release). PR Newswire. September 1, 2023. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  10. "How a Teenage Dishwasher Became the CEO of The Melting Pot Fondue Empire". inc.com. July 10, 2017. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  11. Kelso, Alicia (July 1, 205). "John Crawford named CEO of Melting Pot". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
  12. Guszkowski, Joe (July 1, 2025). "Melting Pot names its first new CEO in years". Restaurant Business Online. Retrieved July 19, 2025.