The Melting Pot what opened in Maitland, Florida for the first time in 1975.  This was a cozy and quaint location and when Mark Johnston was working as a waiter there, he realized how popular it was.  He and his brothers Mike and Bob scraped together all the money they could and opened the second location in Tallahassee in 1979 with the permission of the original owners.  In 1980 the Johnston brothers opened a second location in Tampa, and they began to franchise in 1985 after purchasing the rights to all The Melting Pot restaurants.  The company recently celebrated its 35th anniversary and now have over 140 locations across North America.

The Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant that originally started with only three items; Swiss cheese fondue, beef fondue, and chocolate fondue dessert.  They now serve a four-course dinner with many different choices including cheese fondues, steaks, seafood, chicken, salads, and dessert fondues as well.  They offer a relaxing atmosphere with private tables, fine wines, and attentive service.  They also offer a gluten-free menu.

The Melting Pot offers a franchising opportunity for those with at least $325,000 of liquid assets and at least $1 million in total assets.  They require a down payment on the location of at least 30% of the total cost and they estimate the total investment to be from $876,695 to $1,544,695.  It takes between 60 and 120 days to get approved for a new location and they will provide support and training.  You have a full year to get the restaurant up and running once you sign the franchising agreement.  It is not required for you to have prior restaurant experience, but it is helpful and they will train you anyway so it is not necessary to have any restaurant experience.