The Melting Pot franchise
A full-service fondue restaurant. At the end of its 2026 fiscal year there were 93 The Melting Pot locations in the US, 88 franchised and 5 company-owned.
- Cost to open
- $1.8M–$2.37M
- Franchise fee
- $50,000
- Royalty
- 5% royalty and service fee
- Locations, 2026
- 93−1 in 2 yrs
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Company snapshot
- SBA loans
- On the SBA Franchise Directory
From MELTING POT RESTAURANTS INC (THE)’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
How much a The Melting Pot franchise costs
Opening one The Melting Pot costs an estimated $1,797,654 to $2,369,638. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: MELTING POT RESTAURANTS INC (THE), 2026 filing, page 22
The Melting Pot franchise fee
The franchise fee is $50,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: MELTING POT RESTAURANTS INC (THE), 2026 filing, page 14
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | A combined royalty and service fee of 5% of gross revenue. |
|---|
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: MELTING POT RESTAURANTS INC (THE), 2026 filing, page 15
Sales and earnings
Shares figures The Melting Pot publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: MELTING POT RESTAURANTS INC (THE), 2026 filing, page 49
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 87 (−2) | 5 | 2 |
| 2025 | 85 (−2) | 4 | – |
| 2026 | 88 (+3) | 5 | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating. The 2026 fiscal year ended March 31, 2026; it is not a calendar-year 2026 count.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
Source: MELTING POT RESTAURANTS INC (THE), 2026 filing, page 52
How The Melting Pot compares
Of the 171 restaurant franchises on this site, The Melting Pot is the 154th cheapest to open and the 79th largest by number of locations.
| Measure | The Melting Pot | Typical restaurant |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $1.8M | $526K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5% |
| Closed or left per year | 1.1% | 4.1% |
| Change in franchised locations, 2 yrs | −1.1% | +5.7% |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 125 of 171 |
Typical is the median across the 171 brands in restaurant franchises.
