Fondue restaurant chain The Melting Pot lifted the lid on the next stage of its brand evolution, unveiling a fresh restaurant design tailored to reflect what’s most important to its guests. The new model will show in upcoming locations as well as those looking to relocate or remodel, the company said.
Among the new design elements:
- New ambiance, offering an inviting and engaging, open design with local touches
- Casual dining, social bar area, outdoor dining, and patio bar
- Open cheese and chocolate kitchen where the art of fondue is on display
- Dedicated wine tasting area
- An expanded retail area offering
In addition to the visual changes, The Melting Pot is adding new culinary experiences to ride the experiential nature of the concept. These include:
- Enhanced fondue experience—including new quicker, craveable menu items
- Chef prepared entrees
- On-the-go options—including The Melting Pot’s Signature Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
- Hand-crafted and artisanal cocktails featuring clean, simple and fresh ingredients
“Americans love to dine out—5.9 times a week according to a recent Zagat dining trend survey,” said Mike Lester, president of The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. “So it was important to us when we reimagined the restaurant concept that we created multiple dining areas and experiences to give our guests their choice of atmosphere.”
The new restaurant debuted in Red Bank, New Jersey, in late June. The second is headed for El Paso, Texas. Another, in Pittsburgh, will reopened in a new location with elements of the design.
“Our guests are looking for localized, customized and fun experiences and our restaurants deliver just that. Our redesigned locations will offer a slightly different look and menu offering, but each will create an eclectic environment for our guests that offers the traditional Melting Pot interactive experience along with a variety of casual dining opportunities,” Lester said. “This is an exciting time in the history of the brand when we have recreated ourselves and we look forward to sharing it with our guests in communities across the country as we continue to expand.”
In July, The Melting Pot made a culinary and experiential change when it announced that locations nationwide would start offering tabletop cast-iron grilling. Guests could sear entrée items right at the table. “Our new grill cooking style will provide guests another way to enjoy our interactive dining experience, while still offering the traditional cooking styles they know and love,” Lester said at the time.
Founded in 1975, The Melting Pot has more than 115 restaurants in 34 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico, and The Middle East. Additionally, there are more than 17 international locations in development.The chain is an affiliate of Front Burner, a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
