With a lease signed for 20 George St., Daina Senatore and Jonathan Reeve plan to bring back local Melting Pot to the state in late Fall 2024.
NEW HAVEN, Conn., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Melting Pot, the 92-unit fondue franchise, is coming back to Connecticut late this Fall. Building upon their careers in financial services, Daina Senatore and Jonathan Reeve are bringing the fondue franchise to their community. They have now officially secured real estate for their new restaurant. With a lease signed for 20 George St. in New Haven, the pair, along with their son Josh Reeve, are on track to bring back Connecticut's first Melting Pot before the end of the year.
After seeing a notification that their local Melting Pot restaurant would be closing, Daina Senatore and Jonathan Reeve were researching ownership with the brand the same day. As a blended family with five kids, the group had long used The Melting Pot as their go-to place for celebratory meals and couldn't stand to see it leave Connecticut.
"We're excited about this new chapter in our lives, which is opening a restaurant and building the Melting Pot brand in Connecticut", Senatore said. "We're big fans of the Melting Pot brand in general. We didn't necessarily know the brand, but we knew the restaurant. It's somewhere our family loves to frequent our celebrations. We're looking forward to bringing this family-friendly experience to our community in New Haven".
In addition to being the only location in the state, this new Melting Pot restaurant will be part of a larger revitalization project to rebuild the area where the old New Haven Coliseum once stood. Sitting on a corner lot, the new restaurant will have a large outdoor dining area and easy access to other downtown hot spots and major thoroughfares.
"We are thrilled to welcome Melting Pot to The Anthem, our vibrant mixed-use community in the heart of New Haven. As we continue to curate an exceptional living experience for our residents, Melting Pot will enrich the fabric of our community, providing a gathering place where friends and families can create lasting memories," said Frank Caico, Executive Vice President of Development at Spinnaker Real Estate Partners, LLC.
The new restaurant is being developed in line with the design standards of Melting Pot Evolution, the brand's recent reimagination of the look and feel of Melting Pot restaurants. Melting Pot Evolution features an open floor plan, a distinct focus on the bar area and a wide range of seating options to cater to guests of all kinds.
"New Haven offers great food, culture, art and music, and we will be surrounded by many colleges and hospitals," Reeve said. "Our Melting Pot will be the first restaurant of its kind in New Haven County, and we're excited to contribute to the revitalization of the area while providing a unique dining experience to the countless students, professionals and families in the area."
"After years of strong unit-level growth, we are focused on revitalizing the brand nationwide, bringing Melting Pot restaurants to new communities and reviving and expanding our presence in others," explained Bob Johnston, CEO of The Melting Pot. "Daina and Jonathan are a strong addition to our network, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact they will have on the New Haven community."
After a strong 2023, with over 20% of restaurants reopening after a push to remodel, Melting Pot has continued to support growth in the system; the brand is on track to see a total of 37 remodeled reopenings this year alone. The franchisor has launched a new Franchisee Growth Incentive, offering new franchisees a compelling opportunity to join the Melting Pot family.
The New Haven development is part of a larger growth plan as Melting Pot continues expanding nationwide. With six restaurants in development and two new franchises awarded in the first quarter alone, the iconic fondue franchise is looking toward growth in Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, Kansas, California, Nebraska, Ohio, Iowa, Colorado, Washington, Arizona, New Jersey and Mississippi.
About Melting Pot
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 92 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. Melting Pot is an affiliate of Front Burner Brands, a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Florida. For more information, visit http://www.meltingpot.com. To learn more about franchise opportunities with Melting Pot, please visit http://www.meltingpotfranchise.com.
About Front Burner
Headquartered in Tampa, Front Burner is the restaurant management company for Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., and the new casual whimsical dining concept Melting Pot Social! Melting Pot currently has 92 restaurants in 31 U.S. states and Canada. Melting Pot Social opened its first location in July 2021 in Asheville, NC. For more information, visit http://www.frontburnerbrands.com.
Media Contact
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SOURCE Melting Pot
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