The Melting Pot franchise research

Investment by format

Format-specific estimates only. Do not combine one format's minimum with another format's maximum.

Investment sourceFDD p.22 ↗

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$40,000 to $50,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

5% · 5% of Gross Revenues, paid monthly via EFT

Marketing contribution

1.7% (basis not captured; see original filing)

Technology fee

Technology and User Fee: up to 1% of Gross Revenues (not currently charged), max $20,000/Restaurant/year

Other fees

Brand Development Contribution up to 3% (currently 1.7%) of Gross Revenues; Website Enhancements/Integration Fee $150/month; Gift Card Systems Fee ~$10/month plus $0.10/transaction

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

$65,000 to $125,000 for additional funds (3 months)

Fees sourceFDD p.15 ↗

Working capital is drawn from Item 7. The Investment source below locates the investment section, not an independently verified working-capital scalar.

Investment sourceFDD p.22 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

Average Unit Volume (Gross Revenues); also cost of food/beverage and hourly labor as % of Gross Revenues for company-owned restaurants

Reporting period

Fiscal Year 2026 (12 months ended March 31, 2026)

Sample

85 franchised Restaurants open a full 12 months (of 88 franchised at FYE; 3 newer franchised units excluded); 4 Company Owned Restaurants open a full 12 months

Reported average

$2,041,839

Reported median

$1,771,536

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Results depend on the disclosed metric, sample and period; consult the full filing.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.50 ↗

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2026 (FYE March 31, 2026)

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

85

Year-end outlets

88

Net change

+3

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

3

Terminations

0

Non-renewals

0

Other closures

0

Reacquisitions

0

Transfers

1

Transfers are not closures. Net change is ending minus starting outlets for the stated scope and year, or complete openings less terminations, non-renewals, other closures and reacquisitions. Missing inputs stay unknown.

Unit growth sourceFDD p.52 ↗

SBA loan history

Loan activity

8 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

$1,714,000

Median loan window

FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30

Median loan sample

6 loans

Historical charge-off share

9.52%

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

2 / 21

Formula

CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100

This is a historical loan-level share, not a franchise failure probability or location survival rate. Loan size is not total investment. Other loan statuses are excluded from the seasoned denominator. Activity combines 7(a) and 504 approvals, excluding canceled and not-funded records; this is not a rolling five-year count. FY2024-25 franchise tags are sparse after directory suspension; fewer tagged loans do not establish brand decline. Recent charge-off cohorts are immature.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median loan amounts are financing context, not startup cost. The median window is separate from the seasoned charge-off cohort.

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Questions before you invest

How much does The Melting Pot franchise cost?

standard: $1,797,654 to $2,369,638 These are format-specific estimates, not a guaranteed cash requirement. Franchise fee: $40,000 to $50,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review..

Investment sourceFDD p.22 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

How much do The Melting Pot owners make?

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Item 19 metric: Average Unit Volume (Gross Revenues); also cost of food/beverage and hourly labor as % of Gross Revenues for company-owned restaurants. Sample: 85 franchised Restaurants open a full 12 months (of 88 franchised at FYE; 3 newer franchised units excluded); 4 Company Owned Restaurants open a full 12 months. Period: Fiscal Year 2026 (12 months ended March 31, 2026).

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.50 ↗

What's the SBA charge-off rate for The Melting Pot?

9.52%; numerator / denominator: 2 / 21. Historical 7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals; CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100, snapshot 2026-06-30. This is not a franchise failure probability. Median SBA loan: $1,714,000; window: FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30; sample: 6 loans. Median financing is not total investment.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗