Melting Pot Aims To Reopen Larkspur, CA Restaurant With New Franchise Partner

LARKSPUR, CA – After an impressive year of unit-level sales growth and system-wide remodeling efforts, Melting Pot, a 93-unit experiential dining fondue franchise, is eyeing Larkspur, California for its upcoming development efforts. The community’s former Melting Pot, located at 125 E Sir Francis Drake Blvd, closed in October 2020, but the leadership team sees an opportunity to revive the brand’s presence in the community with the right franchisee.

“We’ve seen incredible demand for Melting Pot in Larkspur for years,” said Bob Johnston, CEO. “Given our previous presence in Larkspur, we know the community is looking to have fondue brought back to the area, and we’re looking for the right franchisee to lead this effort.”

The resale presents an exciting opportunity to join the Melting Pot system. Since the restaurant is already established, the investment range to reopen is just a fraction of the typical cost of opening a brand new Melting Pot location. Better yet, the site that the team has its eyes on is ideal for guests looking to have a unique dining experience in a truly unique location.

“The current site we are looking at is just off the water near the Larkspur Ferry Terminal,” explained Collin Benyo, franchise growth strategist. “It is a former brick kiln that has a wonderful history in the area and is easily one of the most unique and spectacular sites a restaurant owner could ask for.”

Brand history

Throughout its nearly five decades of history, Melting Pot has established itself as the go-to place for “eatertainment,” connection, celebration and experiential dining nationwide. This history is only strengthened by the fact that the Larkspur community has already experienced Melting Pot and is ready to return to their local fondue restaurant. With this, the resale presents both a strong business opportunity and a chance to become a local hero of sorts.

“It is the mission of the brand to provide guests with their perfect night out, whatever that looks like — especially today with what's gone on in the world over the last few years,” Johnston said. “Guests choose us over other options because we carefully craft an environment that encourages gathering with people they care about and spending quality time with them. Melting Pot provides the perfect environment for that. What happens in a Melting Pot is as much about what's going on around that fondue pot as what's in that pot.”

Melting Pot also offers thorough training and long-term support from a team of experts to provide owners with the resources they need to provide a truly one-of-a-kind dining experience to their communities. Reviving an existing brand presence in Larkspur also allows franchisees to ramp up and become profitable more quickly than is typically expected with a ground-up Melting Pot buildout, which is already incredibly efficient compared to restaurant industry standards.

Sales growth

With nearly 75% of restaurants achieving all-time sales records in 2022 and holding steady in 2023, it is clear that Melting Pot is in high demand. A major driver of this traffic has been its push to remodel restaurants’ interiors, refreshing the experience and demonstrating its flexibility and longevity.

Melting Pot had a strong 2023 with over 20% of restaurants reopening after a push to remodel, and they don’t plan to stop there; the brand is on track to see a total of 37 remodeled reopenings this year alone. As the franchisor continues to work alongside passionate entrepreneurs to drive system growth, it is also targeting expansion in Pennsylvania, Alabama, Virginia, Nevada, Texas and Georgia.

Founded in 1975, Melting Pot has offered a unique fondue dining experience for more than 45 years. As the premier fondue restaurant franchise, Melting Pot has 93 restaurants in 31 U.S.

states and Canada. Known for offering a variety of fondue cooking styles and unique entrées, Melting Pot’s menu also features cheese fondues, salads, fine wines, spirits and chocolate fondue desserts. Fondue fans can join Melting Pot’s Club Fondue for exclusive promotions, special events and advance holiday reservation privileges.