The Melting Pot Restaurants is in the process of scouting the right franchisee to open a fondue restaurant in Springfield, said Franchise Growth Strategist Collin Benyo.
“Within the next year, I’d like to be able to have somebody in the funnel and signing a franchise agreement to get us a store brought to Springfield,” Benyo said.
“We’ve seen the demographics, we’ve seen the numbers and really the opportunity is there. We’re just looking for the right person.”
The Florida-based fondue chain started in 1975 just outside of Orlando with a three-item menu, according to the company’s website. In the decades that followed, growth has exploded as the company has become known as the premier fondue-dining experience. The Melting Pot has 94 restaurants in 31 U.S. states and Canada, according its website.
The Melting Pot’s menu has grown substantially, and includes a variety of entrees in five cooking styles combined with signature dipping sauces. The menu also includes cheese fondues, fresh salads, premium meats and seafood, according to the company’s website. Guests can also enjoy fine wines, handcrafted cocktails and for dessert, a decadent chocolate fondue.
Why Springfield?
The Melting Pot uses SiteZeus, an artificial intelligence-driven service that gives insights on ideal locations for franchises based on economic data and demographics, Benyo said.
SiteZeus will “run this algorithm and essentially show us on a map where the opportunities are in the continental United States,” Benyo said. “Springfield shows up very nice. It’s really just an untapped area that I know a great, successful restaurant could be placed.”
The fondue chain plans to send representatives to Springfield in the first half of 2024, Benyo said. During that trip, the company will meet with prospective franchisees as well as other stakeholders in the city, such as members of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, he said.
To be sure, SiteZeus also showed Branson and Northwest Arkansas as ideal franchise targets, Benyo said. The Melting Pot has had requests for information from potential franchisees in both areas, Benyo said. The fondue chain has locations in St. Louis and Kansas City.
Franchise cost and sales
The estimated initial investment to start a Melting Pot restaurant is $1.4 million to $2.1 million, including an initial franchise fee of $45,000, according to the company website. The company does not offer financing for new restaurants. The average yearly unit volume out of a location is about $2.5 million, Benyo said.
Thanks in part to a nationwide restaurant remodeling campaign, nearly 75% of Melting Pot Restaurants hit all-time sales records in 2022, according to the company website.
The Melting Pot plans to continue its expansion efforts into next year and is also targeting Memphis; Houston, Texas; Charleston, South Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Montgomery, Alabama, according to its website.
“There’s so much opportunity of people here that are looking for new things to do, dining wise,” Benyo said. “Eating out is not slowing down.”
