The Melt Opens at San Francisco International Airport

The Melt has landed at SFO. The San Francisco-founded and headquartered fast-casual favorite is now open in San Francisco International Airport’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1, bringing its signature MeltBurgers to travelers from around the world. As The Melt continues its rapid expansion across California and Arizona, the SFO opening marks a proud hometown milestone for the brand — and a melty new way for hungry flyers to taste what makes The Melt different.

The Melt arrives at SFO on the strength of a record year: $58.2 million in 2025 revenue on 4.6% comparable sales growth, with same-store sales climbing from $700,000 AUV to $3.4 million over the past seven years. The SFO opening is part of the brand’s biggest expansion year to date, with 30 total locations across California and Arizona anticipated by year’s end.

“We could not be more proud of our Bay Area history as a restaurant brand founded and headquartered in San Francisco,” said Ralph Bower, CEO of The Melt. “It’s only fitting that our first airport location is at our hometown airport, San Francisco International (SFO). We are excited to bring our bold, melty comfort food to travelers from around the world.

The Melt is proud to be one of the highest-rated burger chains in the country, with an average 4.7-star rating across Yelp and Google. We’re excited to share The Melt with millions of SFO travelers and give them a true taste of the brand our Bay Area guests have loved for years.”

The Melt takes a different approach than most fast casual burger chains: ⅓ of a pound of fresh Angus and Wagyu beef is chopped and topped with aged cheddar directly on the grill, so the cheese is melted right into the patty. The result is the signature MeltBurger — a melty, juicy burger unlike any other.

The Melt has been a San Francisco original since 2011. SFO is now its 24th location and its first airport location— the moment a concept deeply rooted in the City steps onto a global stage. More than 54 million travelers passed through SFO in 2025 from 35 countries. For most of these travelers, this will be their first MeltBurger.

SFO travelers will also find some menu items you can’t get anywhere else: a breakfast menu developed specifically for this location is available each morning, featuring the Breakfast MeltBurger with a fried egg and bacon, alongside egg sandwiches, breakfast burritos, and freshly baked pastries. Peet’s Coffee, another Bay Area original, will be poured with freshly brewed coffee and specialty coffees. The Harvey Milkshake, a rainbow-sprinkled premium vanilla shake usually available only in June, is joining the SFO menu year-round exclusively at this location, with proceeds benefiting Equality California.

Beyond the MeltBurger, the full menu includes several items for hungry travelers: toasty grilled sandwiches, creamy mac & cheese, skin-on fries seasoned with custom Melt Spice, and thick, hand-spun shakes, all made with 100% all-natural ingredients and no artificial additives.

The Melt is one of the highest-rated multi-unit burger concepts in the country, earning a 4.7 star rating across Google and Yelp. The brand has also earned recognition as one of the Top 20 Fast Casual Restaurants for Guest Satisfaction by Nation’s Restaurant News and a Top 50 Brand in Fast Casual’s 2025 Top 100 Movers & Shakers.

“We’ve spent 15 years building a huge fan base across California and Arizona. Most of the people walking through the Harvey Milk terminal at SFO are meeting us for the first time, and that’s what makes this opening different from any other we’ve done. We want every traveler to say ‘I love it here.’ That’s a promise we make to our guests everywhere,” said Bower.

The Melt at Harvey Milk Terminal 1 is open daily from 4:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, please visit www.themelt.com.