Buffalo Business First: The Melting Pot Hopes to Boost Bar Business with Renovations

The Melting Pot at the Walden Galleria has recently completed its first major renovation in an effort to attract more bar traffic. Known for its fondue cuisine, The Melting Pot , the nearly 100-unit fondue franchise, offers cheese and chocolate among other fondue options, in addition to salads, entrees and desserts.

Melting Pot franchisee Jim Materese , who is also a partner in Melting Pot franchise sites in Colorado Springs, Kansas City and Pittsburgh, invested $250,000 into renovating the 5,115-square-foot Walden Galleria location.

The aim of the renovation was to create a brighter, more welcoming atmosphere while maintaining a romantic and intimate feel. This has been achieved with lighter paint colors, new light fixtures, strategically placed candles and new signage.

Bigger changes include raising the height of the ceiling to make the bar area feel more inviting, while also providing a more open dining space. This comes as a part of a larger chain of remodels; the Buffalo location was the 27th of 60 sites scheduled for updates this year.

“Bar-centric dining is massive among consumers, so we’re making sure they’re revenue centers,” Collin Benyo , franchise growth strategist, told Buffalo Business First. “It’s a great opportunity for people who maybe didn’t want to do a full dinner to have some cheese and chocolate with wine and cocktails.”

Materese hopes that this renovation will help increase his revenue from alcohol sales from 12% up to 15%.

“We have cooktops at the bar as well, so you can sit at the bar and fondue as well as have cocktails,” said Materese. “It’s a great opportunity for people who maybe didn’t want to do a full dinner to have some cheese and chocolate with wine and cocktails.”