Quick Verdict · who it fits
The Melting Pot fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mid-scale food & beverage concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$2K
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$50K
Royalty (Item 6)
5% + 1.8% ad
Item 19 median rev
$1.77M population not disclosed in this filing
System size (Item 20)
88 +3
Agreement term
10 yrs
Years in business
42+ yrs
Company-owned units
4
Item 3 litigation
1 suit
Model The Melting Pot's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Buyer qualifications
✓Exclusive territory•Owner-operator required✓No bankruptcy disclosed•1 Item 3 case
Data extracted from the 2026 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.
Where units actually land — not just the headline average.
P25
$695k
Median
$1.77M
P75
$2.62M
▪ fiscal year March 31, 2026 · Source: 2026 FDD Item 19
Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 5% + ad fund 1.8% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$1,770,000
$100k$3.2M
Royalty (5%)
—
Ad fund (1.8%)
—
Total / year
—
▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration
Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.
89
Total units open
0
Units opened last year
3
Units closed last year
-3
Net unit growth
What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.
4
Risks to review
3
Strengths identified
5
Questions to ask
How The Melting Pot ranks against 753 Food & Beverage peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
0th pct · of 753 peers
Franchise fee
83rd pct · of 753 peers
System size
71st pct · of 753 peers
Food & Beverage industry averages
Avg investment
$589K - $1.4M
Avg franchise fee
$37K
Avg system size
261
Franchises analyzed
753
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Melting Pot | Disclosed | $50K | $2K | 5% | 88 |
| Dog Haus Worldwide, Llc (remote Kitchens)Similar price | None | $40K | $2K | 4% | — |
| Doctor's AssociatesBiggest system | None | $15K | $227K - $630K | 8% | 18,773 |
| Vintage Hospitality GroupTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $50K | $3.5M - $6.4M | 5.5% | 33 |
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Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
Brand Analysis
Chipotle reported 4,186 company-operated restaurants and 15 international licensed restaurants as of June 30, 2026. None are franchised, there is no FDD, and there is nothing to apply for. Qdoba is the franchised version of the same order line, and its 12/25 FDD puts a traditional restaurant at $548,100 to $1,294,000.
Brand Analysis
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. reported 656 company-operated stores in 43 states as of January 30, 2026, and the brand has never sold a franchise. Huddle House and Another Broken Egg cover the same daypart with filed FDDs, at $555,375 to $1,715,275 and $792,500 to $1,804,000.
Brand Analysis
The Häagen-Dazs Shoppe Company franchises the ice cream shops on a $30,000 fee and a 4% royalty, with a 2026 Item 7 range of $213,329 to $591,579. The trademark belongs to a different company, and the ice cream you are required to buy comes from a third.
The Melting Pot requires a $50,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $1,500–$1,500, per the most recent FDD on file.
The Melting Pot franchises are sold by The Melting Pot, the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the corporate structure, including any parent companies and predecessors.
Yes. The Melting Pot discloses Item 19 financial performance representations with reported revenue around $1,771,536. See the financials sub-page for the full distribution.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 5% of Gross Revenues and an advertising fund contribution of 1.8% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2026 FDD, The Melting Pot has 88 total locations, with 3 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
Yes. The Melting Pot grants franchisees an exclusive territory under Item 12 of the FDD. Note that exclusive territories often carve out online sales, alternative distribution channels, and non-traditional venues — review the full Item 12 language before signing.
Per the FDD, The Melting Pot discloses an initial agreement term of 10 years. Review Items 10 and 17 for the full renewal and termination provisions.
This page is part of VetMyFranchise. View all pages: llms.txt · llms-full.txt