The Fondue Fork Gives Cupid's Arrow a Run for its Money at The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. This Valentine's Day

Tampa, FL  (RestaurantNews.com)  The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. (http://www.meltingpot.com), the premier fondue restaurant franchise, combines an intimate atmosphere, secluded tables, a unique fondue dining experience and a Cupid’s Fondue Forks Facebook promotion to spark romance for couples this Valentine’s Day.

“There’s just something about the fondue dining experience that invites romance,” said Cindy Haynes, senior vice president marketing for Front Burner Brands, restaurant management company for The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. “We’re taking romance a step further this Valentine’s Day by sharing the love on Facebook through our Cupid’s Fondue Forks Facebook application that gives fondue fans a chance to win dinner for two at The Melting Pot with their special someone.”

The Cupid’s Fondue Forks application, available on The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/themeltingpotrestaurants) and all local Melting Pot Facebook pages from Jan. 23 – Feb. 17, gives fans the opportunity to share the love by hitting their special someone with Cupid’s Fondue Forks while entering to win one of 10 $100 Melting Pot gift cards. Ten randomly-selected winners will be announced Feb. 21.

Winners will have the opportunity to discover the fondue effect and ignite romance even after Valentine’s Day has come and gone during The Melting Pot’s four-course experience – cheese fondue, salad, entree and the romantic chocolate dessert fondue finale.

Reservations are strongly encouraged for Valentine’s Day. Many locations offer special menus for multiple days during the week of Valentine’s Day. Specials vary by location.

To make reservations, find locations or view Valentine’s Day specials, visit http://www.meltingpot.com.

About The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

With more than 140 restaurants in North America, existing locations in 36 states, Canada and Mexico and more than 15 locations currently in development, The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. is the premier fondue restaurant franchise. Founded in 1975, The Melting Pot continues to be a memorable dining experience. Guests enjoy a choice of fondue cooking styles and a variety of unique entrees combined with dipping sauces. The menu also includes cheese fondues, salads, fine wines and chocolate fondue desserts. The Melting Pot is an affiliate of Front Burner Brands, a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla. For more information, visit http://www.meltingpot.com.

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. Ends 2011 by Reaching Two Million Club Fondue Members

Tampa, FL  (RestaurantNews.com)  The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. (http://www.meltingpot.com), the premier fondue restaurant franchise, has welcomed its two millionth member into its Club Fondue email marketing program.

“This is a significant milestone for our brand and the success of Club Fondue demonstrates that email marketing is still a viable tool,” said Cindy Haynes, senior vice president marketing for Front Burner Brands, restaurant management company for The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. “Club Fondue has helped us build guest loyalty and allowed each of our franchise owners to communicate local specials and events and provide rewards to their fondue fan base.”

Club Fondue offers special fondue features including wine events, food tastings, special events and advanced holiday reservation privileges. When a guest signs up to become a member of Club Fondue, he or she receives a complimentary box of The Melting Pot’s Signature Chocolate-Covered Strawberries with the purchase of a Big Night Out or Four-Course Classic four-course menu offering, or the combination of any two individual entrees and a cheese fondue. Restrictions apply. Club Fondue members also receive vouchers for the Signature Chocolate-Covered Strawberries on birthdays and anniversaries.

For more information or to join Club Fondue, please visit http://www.meltingpot.com.

About The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

With more than 140 restaurants in North America, existing locations in 36 states, Canada and Mexico and more than 15 locations currently in development, The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. is the premier fondue restaurant franchise. Founded in 1975, The Melting Pot continues to be a memorable dining experience. Guests enjoy a choice of fondue cooking styles and a variety of unique entrées combined with dipping sauces. The menu also includes cheese fondues, salads, fine wines and chocolate fondue desserts. The Melting Pot is an affiliate of Front Burner Brands, a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla. For more information, visit www.meltingpot.com.

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. Introduces Signature Chocolate-Covered Strawberries in Time for Holiday Gift-Giving

Tampa, FL  (RestaurantNews.com)  The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., (http://www.meltingpot.com), the premier fondue restaurant franchise, introduces Signature Chocolate-Covered Strawberries as a new retail offering in time for the holiday gift-giving season.

“We already serve strawberries during the dessert course, so it is a natural fit for us to sell these beautiful, decadent creations for guests to take home and enjoy or give as gifts,” said Mike Lester, president of The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. “A unique and delicious holiday gift idea, our hand-dipped Signature Chocolate-Covered Strawberries are available at Melting Pot locations in the U.S. and Canada.”

Available in boxes of three and six, The Melting Pot’s Signature Chocolate-Covered Strawberries can be purchased as a retail item at Melting Pot locations in the U.S. and Canada. Orders can be placed in advance by phone.

For more information about The Melting Pot and to find locations, please visit http://www.meltingpot.com.

About The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

With 142 restaurants in North America, existing locations in 36 states, Canada and Mexico and more than 15 locations currently in development, The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. is the premier fondue restaurant franchise. Founded in 1975, The Melting Pot continues to be a memorable dining experience. Guests enjoy a choice of fondue cooking styles and a variety of unique entrées combined with dipping sauces. The menu also includes cheese fondues, salads, fine wines and chocolate fondue desserts. The Melting Pot is an affiliate of Front Burner Brands, a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla. For more information, visit http://www.meltingpot.com.

Burger 21 Announces Expansion Plans for Orlando

Burger 21, a new fast casual concept founded by the owners of The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., announced today that Orlando, Fla., is the first priority growth market targeted for franchise expansion. The company launched an aggressive growth strategy last month to bring its 21 chef-inspired burger creations and hand-dipped signature shakes to more cities across the U.S.

To fuel its expansion in Orlando, Burger 21 is actively seeking qualified franchisees and will host an Executive Roundtable outlining the franchise opportunity Tuesday, Nov. 15 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Pointe Orlando Maggiano’s located at 9101 International Drive. To register for the complimentary lunch and event, please contact Dan Stone, vice president of franchise development for Front Burner Brands at 813-425-6208 or dstone@burger21.com.

Chief Concept Officer Mark Johnston, his wife, Concept Development Director Arlene Johnston, and his brothers, Chief Executive Officer Bob Johnston and Vice President Mike Johnston, founded Burger 21 in November 2009.  Leveraging more than 25 years of franchising experience, the Johnston family recognized an opportunity to introduce a higher quality product in a rapidly growing foodservice category. The first corporate-owned Burger 21 restaurant opened in Tampa, Fla., in November 2010, and the second opened last month.

“Burger 21 chose Orlando as its first priority market since the brand originated in nearby Tampa because we have strong ties to the local community, and the region is prime for economic development,” said Mark Johnston, chief concept officer of Front Burner Brands, management company for Burger 21. “While there are other burger concepts in the area, we believe there is still a need for a restaurant that goes beyond the better burger – offering quality, premium ingredients, innovative recipes and a gourmet experience without the gourmet price.”

To fuel Burger 21′s growth, the company is seeking single and multi-unit operators with restaurant experience.  Franchisee candidates should have a minimum net worth of $500,000 and liquid assets of at least $200,000 per unit. Burger 21 will be developed through single-unit agreements and Area Development Agreements that require a minimum of three to five units in primary and secondary markets.  Depending on the real estate site selected, franchisees can expect the total cost of investment for one restaurant to be approximately $513,495 – $733,995.  The initial franchise fee is $40,000.  However, a 20 percent discount is applied to all franchises sold by June 21, 2012.  Reduced franchise fees also apply for Area Development Agreements of four or more units.

“Our first Burger 21 location in Tampa has experienced impressive sales that are exceeding the company’s expectations, proving that this is a unique concept well-positioned to grow in Orlando and across the country,” said Bob Johnston, CEO of Front Burner Brands. “We are currently seeking qualified franchise candidates who want to be part of a fresh, contemporary dining experience and launch the brand in their communities.”

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. is taking fondue fans on a flavorful, patriotic road trip with a new Big Night Out America limited-time feature four-course menu that began rolling out system-wide on Oct. 10 and will be available in all locations by Oct. 21.

“With the Big Night Out America, I set out to take guests on a culinary journey through some of America’s most distinctly flavorful regions,” said Shane Schaibly, corporate chef of Front Burner Brands, restaurant management company for The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. “The menu infuses authentic American flavors into fondue for a dining experience inspired by the melting pot that is America.”

Making a stop in Boston, the first course features an original American beer with Boston Lager Cheddar Cheese Fondue. In this course, Samuel Adams Boston Lager and cheddar and emmenthaler cheeses are accented with Nueske’s applewood smoked bacon, onion, Dijon mustard, Tabasco and scallions.

Next, the road trip heads to the Midwest for the Wisconsin Wedge Salad, an iceberg wedge accompanied by Roma tomato slices, Emmi Roth USA gorgonzola, Nueske’s applewood smoked bacon and peppercorn ranch dressing.

The entree course features fresh meats, seafood and pasta with influences from various regions like the Chesapeake Bay with Old Bay shrimp. Other highlights include Buffalo chicken, Memphis-style barbecue pork tenderloin, seasoned black Angus sirloin and wild mushroom sacchetti pasta.

For dessert, Chef Shane concludes the tour of America with a take on the timeless American classic peanut butter and jelly known as Chocolate Wildberry Crunch Fondue. This version of the childhood favorite combines milk chocolate, crunchy peanut butter and a puree of blackberries, raspberries and strawberries.

The signature appeal of dinner at The Melting Pot restaurant is intimacy and romance in a cozy booth with wine and tabletop fondue.

So how will The Melting Pot open up locations in Saudi Arabia, an Islamic-oriented country with strict cultural rules prohibiting alcohol and mixing of men and women in public?

Answer: Much like every other U.S. chain has, by very carefully adapt everything American to local ways.

It’s a balancing act a slew of U.S. and European brands – from Starbucks to Frederick’s of Hollywood – are attempting to cash in on the oil-rich region, without upsetting local sensibilities.

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The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., a fondue restaurant franchise, has unveiled a fully redesigned website, http://www.meltingpot.com, resulting in a 30 percent decrease in the website’s bounce rate since August 2010.

“To build a foundation for this redesign, we polled consumers, all Melting Pot franchisees and our Restaurant Support Center staff to identify areas for site improvement, in addition to consulting our interactive marketing agency, Bayshore Solutions, to incorporate industry trends,” said Rod James, national director of marketing and creative services for Front Burner Brands, restaurant management company for The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. “We identified an opportunity to provide a better user experience with a more intuitive, easier-to-navigate website inclusive of a more robust content management system.”

The Melting Pot partnered with Bayshore Solutions, (http://www.bayshoresolutions.com), to design a more guest-friendly and visually appealing website and mobile version with more relevant content that educates guests on the unique Melting Pot dining experience, increasing consumer awareness through a detailed Internet marketing strategy.  The redesign also makes it easier for visitors to find information specific to local Melting Pot restaurants.

The website was developed with both guests and franchisees in mind using Bayshore Solutions’ WebModules content management system with several custom-designed elements and an ecommerce system. With the WebModules content management system, all Melting Pot franchise owners have access to a secure administration area where they can manage market-level content such as local specials and events.

In addition to decreasing the website’s bounce rate, the redesign has resulted in a 50 percent increase in the average time a user spends on the site and a 27 percent increase in page views per visit year over year. Search engine traffic to the site has increased by 25 percent. In line with industry trends, mobile visitors have increased 187 percent since August 2010.

“Working with Bayshore Solutions, we’ve implemented rich tracking mechanisms to trace user activity on every page of the website,” said James. “This data will allow us to continually optimize and refresh meltingpot.com.”

McDonald’s Canada intends to spend up to $1 billion to renovate all of its stores in the country. The chain has been in Canada for about 44 years, and this will be the biggest renovation of restaurants since they were built. Over 1,400 restaurants will receive interior and exterior re-designs.

The creators and owners of the Melting Pot fondue franchise recently released their plans for a new high-end burger brand. Burger 21 already has a location in Tampa, but the company only recently decided to expand it into a chain. The restaurants will serve high quality burgers, fresh milkshakes and special side dishes.

African American populations have been declining in Chicago for the past ten years, with 17% of the population now gone from the city. This is making a big impact on the number of soul food restaurants. The city was once known for being the hub of soul food, but the demand for it has dropped as tastes have changed.

Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp. locations will soon be outfitted with new fingerprint biometric scanners from DigitalPersona Inc. The Sweet Tomatoes and Souplantation restaurants will use them to prevent abuse and fraud of discounts and the removal of cash from the till. There was no way to verify who was using the codes to access the register without fingerprinting.

The California Restaurant Mutual Benefit Corporation is pushing for a new conviction against another case of worker’s compensation fraud. A former manager of a California Jack in the Box pleaded guilty after the insurance group found that she had taken part in a robbery that she claimed caused her undue stress.

Kentucky will be the home to the newest Wingstop restaurant in its current push for expansion. The new location is planned for Louisville, and will be followed by three others in the area over the next few years. This will be the chain’s first locations in the state and the agreement was signed with a current Wingstop franchisee from Illinois.

Buffalo Wild Wings already gave away nearly 300,000 free wings to customers who signed their Save Our Season petition. Now the chain is celebrating the return of the football season with more rewards and promotions. Fans can download a special app for free that enters them in the Tailgating Challenge.

White Castle is starting a new Finger Football tour this fall as football season starts. In conjunction with Zelosports, the chain will visit 12 cities to test families’ skills at the table top sport. Players must pay $10 to enter, but even if they don’t win they’ll get a $10 gift card and a t-shirt. Winners will receive free White Castle for life and $2,500.

Luna Grill is adding their sixth location with a new restaurant at Liberty Station in San Diego, California. The restaurant will open in December and will offer the same Mediterranean inspired menu of healthy food options as the other locations. It will seat 48 people inside and 40 more on the patio area outside.

Owners of The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. announced today the national franchise launch of Burger 21, a new fast casual concept featuring 21 chef-inspired burger creations, hand-dipped signature shakes and more.  Burger 21 opened its first corporate-owned restaurant in Tampa, Fla., in November 2010 with a second slated to open this fall.  Now, its founders will take the “beyond the better burger” concept national and offer franchising opportunities to qualified single and multi-unit candidates.

Chief Concept Officer Mark Johnston, his wife, Concept Development Director Arlene Johnston, and his brothers, Chief Executive Officer Bob Johnston and Vice President Mike Johnston, founded Burger 21 in November 2009.  Leveraging more than 25 years of franchising experience, the Johnston family recognized an opportunity to introduce a higher quality product in a rapidly growing foodservice category.

“We saw an opportunity to fill a void in the burger business, which has plenty of quick-service burger joints, a number of traditional, better burger establishments and even upscale, full-service burger restaurants,” said Mark Johnston, chief concept officer of Front Burner Brands, management company for Burger 21.  ”The Burger 21 concept defines its own category – beyond the better burger – and offers quality, premium ingredients, innovative recipes and a gourmet experience without the gourmet price.”

Burger 21′s menu and recipes are chef-inspired with many of the craft burgers, shakes, fries and dipping sauces originally created under the guidance of a classically trained chef.  Guests can select from 11 hand-crafted beef burgers made from fresh ground chuck or one of the 10 beef-alternative burgers made with sushi-grade Ahi Tuna, shrimp, turkey, chicken, vegetables or black beans.

“Since opening the doors to our first restaurant less than a year ago, Burger 21 has received rave reviews in Tampa and has experienced impressive sales that are exceeding the company’s expectations and other select better burger concepts,” said Bob Johnston, CEO of Front Burner Brands.  ”We have fine-tuned the concept and leveraged our collective franchising experience to create an innovative restaurant that is positioned for enormous growth.”

To expand its footprint, Burger 21 has embarked on an aggressive growth strategy that includes initial development efforts focusing on Florida and extending into select markets along the East Coast.  Over time, Burger 21 will broaden its expansion efforts into markets in the Midwest and along the West Coast.

To fuel Burger 21′s growth, the company is seeking single and multi-unit operators with foodservice and/or restaurant experience.  Franchisee candidates should have a passion for and commitment to exceptional customer service, as well as possess the resources and ability to open their first unit within 12 months and each additional unit at a maximum of 12-month intervals.  They also should have a minimum net worth of $500,000 and liquid assets of at least $200,000.

Burger 21 has a contemporary-style diner atmosphere with nostalgic elements.  The shake bar is in the center of the restaurant surrounded by plenty of seating inside and outside.  And, a sauce bar features a large variety of dipping sauces that offer unique flavors to accompany the regular and sweet potato fries.  The concept is designed to operate within 2,400 to 3,000 square feet.

Burger 21 will be developed through single-unit agreements and Area Development Agreements that require a minimum of three to five units in primary and secondary markets.  Depending on the real estate site selected, franchisees can expect the total cost of investment for one restaurant to be approximately $513,495 – $733,995.  The initial franchise fee is $40,000; however, a 20 percent discount is applied to all franchises sold by June 21, 2012.  Reduced franchise fees also apply for Area Development Agreements of four or more units.

This month, Front Burner Brands was officially launched as the restaurant management company for Burger 21, The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. and GrillSmith restaurants.  Headquartered in Tampa, Front Burner Brands will serve as the umbrella organization for the three concepts and other concepts in development while creating efficiencies with operations, purchasing and distribution, marketing, communications, training and other support functions.

To learn more about ownership opportunities with Burger 21, contact Dan Stone, vice president of franchise development for Front Burner Brands at 813-425-6208 and dstone@burger21.com, or www.burger21franchise.com.

Burger 21, a fast casual dining restaurant founded in 2010, is a chef-inspired concept with offerings including 21 unique burger creations ranging from hand-crafted, freshly ground beef to chicken, turkey, shrimp and tuna burgers, made-to-order salads, Hebrew National hot dogs and an extensive shake bar including hand-dipped floats, malts, shakes and sundaes.  Burger 21 is an affiliate of Front Burner Brands, a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla.

Front Burner Brands (formerly known as TGS Management) is a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla.  It is affiliated with the corporate owners of and its management services extended to The Melting Pot Restaurants, founded in 1975 with more than 140 location in North America and more than 15 locations currently in development, GrillSmith with six locations in the Tampa Bay area, Burger 21 with one location open in Tampa and one location currently in development and other new franchise concepts in development. For more information, visit www.frontburnerbrands.com.

Starbucks Corp. Chief Executive Howard Schultz is winning support for his call to withhold political contributions from U.S. lawmakers until they strike a “fair, bipartisan” deal on the country’s debt, revenue and spending.

Schultz recently led the world’s biggest coffee chain through a painful but successful restructuring that returned it to growth. In his letter Monday, he also challenged fellow U.S. business leaders to do their part by hiring workers to give the national economy a much-needed jolt.

NYSE Euronext Chief Executive Duncan Niederauer and Nasdaq OMX Group Chief Executive Robert Greifeld have pledged their support.

“I think that Howard’s idea is a great one, and I have told him that he can count on me,” Greifeld wrote in an email to Nasdaq company leaders.

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In recognition of Celiac Awareness Month in May, The Melting Pot fondue restaurants are helping to raise awareness about gluten intolerance with its second annual Chef to Plate program in a partnership with the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG).

“The Chef to Plate program aims to educate the public about how so many people are affected by gluten intolerance,” said Sandy D’Elosua, national director of communications for The Melting Pot Restaurants.  ”We teamed up with GIG last year to launch our gluten-free menu for guests with this sensitivity and plan to continue raising awareness about celiac disease in support of the millions impacted.”

Considering one in 100 people have celiac disease, an autoimmune disease that damages the intestine when proteins from wheat, rye or barley (gluten) are consumed, The Melting Pot recognized the need for a gluten-free menu offering and launched this initiative in 2010.  GIG analyzed The Melting Pot’s menus, products and ingredients by checking labels and nutritional facts to determine items that contained gluten and advised accordingly during the creation of the gluten-free menu that is now available for guests.

Chef to Plate is a national awareness campaign of the Gluten Intolerance Group of North American (GIG), a national nonprofit organization that has been providing consumer and food industry support and education for 35 years.  For more information about this program in the restaurant, visit www.meltingpot.com. More information about GIG is available at www.GLUTEN.net.

With 142 restaurants in North America, existing locations in 36 states, Canada and Mexico and 18 locations currently in development, The Melting Pot Restaurants is the premier fondue restaurant franchise. Founded in 1975, The Melting Pot continues to be a memorable dining experience where patrons can dip into something different. Guests enjoy a choice of fondue cooking styles and a variety of unique entrées combined with dipping sauces. The menu also includes cheese fondues, salads, fine wines and chocolate fondue desserts. The Melting Pot is an affiliate of Front Burner Brands, a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla.

The Melting Pot Restaurants, a fondue franchise, is spicing things up with a new Latin America Big Night Out feature menu (offered for a limited time) that began rolling out system-wide March 28 and will be in all locations by April 8.

“The opportunity to explore spices from this region of the world was an exciting and challenging undertaking,” said Chef Shane Schaibly, director of food and beverage for The Melting Pot. “I really wanted to figure out a way to incorporate these spices and flavors into fondue for our guests to experience while honoring the origin of these dishes, and I think the Latin America menu accomplished this feat.”

A fondue version of the classic Mexican dish, the first course, “Queso Fundido,” combines Fontina, Gruyere and Gran Queso cheeses with crumbled Chorizo sausage, fresh lime juice and fresh jalapenos.  Chips are also included as dippers.

The Shrimp Ceviche salad is a blend of citrus-marinated shrimp, avocado puree, tropical fruit pico de gallo and mixed greens tossed with lime vinaigrette.  The citrus marinade that coats the shrimp consists of lime juice, jalapenos, lemon juice and cilantro.  

The entree course features fresh meats and marinades including Chimichurri sirloin with influences from Argentina and Brazil, garlic Piri Piri shrimp (pepper sauce also known as African Birdseye imported from Portugal), mole-marinated chicken breast, citrus-marinated pork tenderloin and fire-roasted corn salsa ravioli.  The featured sauce served with the entree is the Salsa Verde which is a green sauce consisting of tomatillos, jalapenos, lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper and cilantro.

For dessert, Chef Shane whipped up a new dark and dulce chocolate fondue. This is a classic flavor combination featuring bittersweet dark chocolate and sweet dulce de leche accented with coarse sea salt.

To make reservations, find locations or view the complete menu, visit http://www.meltingpot.com.

The Melting Pot fondue restaurants are offering free cheese fondue to guests April 11-14 in celebration of National Cheese Fondue Day.

“We are leveraging a nationally recognized day (April 11) to introduce our brand to new guests, show our appreciation to returning guests and share the unique dining experience we offer,” said Cindy Haynes, senior vice president of marketing for Front Burner Brands (restaurant management company that houses The Melting Pot).

The cheese fondue course (serves two people) is valued around $14 per selection (prices vary per location). Reservations are required and limited, but no purchase is necessary to participate in this event.

For more details about this event and reservation information, visit http://www.411iscoming.com or The Melting Pot’s website at http://www.meltingpot.com.

With 142 restaurants in North America, existing locations in 36 states, Canada and Mexico and 18 locations currently in development, The Melting Pot Restaurants is the premiere fondue restaurant franchise. Founded in 1975, The Melting Pot continues to be a memorable four-course dining experience where patrons can dip into something different. Guests enjoy a choice of fondue cooking styles and a variety of unique entrees combined with dipping sauces. The menu also includes cheese fondues, salads, fine wines and chocolate fondue desserts. The Melting Pot is an affiliate of Front Burner Brands, a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla. For more information, visit www.meltingpot.com.

The Melting Pot Restaurants join St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the seventh annual Thanks and Giving campaign from Nov. 1 – Dec. 4, to “give thanks for the healthy kids in your life, and give to those who are not” by donating to cancer research.

“The Melting Pot of Atlantic City was the No. 1 fundraiser during the Thanks and Giving campaign for St. Jude out of all The Melting Pot Restaurants in 2009, and I’m proud to be leading The Melting Pot’s efforts for the 2010 program to break all previous records as we strive to help our partner find cures for cancer,” said Charlie Haney, co-chair of The Melting Pot’s Thanks and Giving campaign and owner of The Melting Pot of Atlantic City. “Giving back to the community during programs like this are rewarding for our employees and guests, especially during the holiday season.”

With every donation of $10 or more, guests will receive a Fondue for the Kids card that offers $20 off any future purchase of $50 or more. All proceeds from the Fondue for the Kids card will be donated to St. Jude. The Melting Pot Restaurants also offer additional support for St. Jude with the ongoing Fondue a Cure for Childhood Cancer signature chocolate fondue bars. For each $5 bar purchased, $1 is given to the hospital.

Since becoming a partner in 2003, The Melting Pot Restaurants have raised more than $5 million for St. Jude.

In 2010, St. Jude was ranked the most trusted charity in the nation in a public survey conducted by Harris Interactive, as well as named the nation’s No. 1 children’s cancer hospital for 2010-2011 by U.S. News & World Report. It is the nation’s leading pediatric research and treatment center devoted solely to children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases and the only Hospital that covers all of the costs for treatment, travel, food, and lodging for a patient and a family member. At St. Jude, no child is ever turned away because of a family’s inability to pay.

Since opening its doors in 1962, St. Jude has developed protocols that have helped push survival rates for childhood cancers from less than 20 percent to 80 percent overall. In fact, the survival rate for the most common form of childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, has risen from just 4 percent in 1962 to 94 percent today.

For more information or to make a donation, visit http://www.meltingpot.com/fondueforthekids, or call 1-800-4STJUDE. The Melting Pot chocolate fondue bars and Fondue for the Kids cards can also be purchased online at http://www.meltingpot.com.

The Melting Pot Restaurants (http://www.meltingpot.com) are offering a new menu featuring Pacific Islands themed dishes for a limited-time, starting March 15, 2010, and nationwide by March 26, 2010.

“I was trying to think of a menu theme for the spring time using lighter fare,” said Chef Shane Schaibly, manager of culinary development for The Melting Pot Restaurants. “I took recipes that I came across when working with chefs from Hawaii and New Zealand while at the Ritz Carlton in South Florida and used them for marinades in fondues. This Pacific Islands themed Big Night Out has mint and lots of citrus which is perfect for spring.”

The first course of The Melting Pot’s new Pacific Islands Big Night Out is the Feng Shui Cheese Fondue, the perfect balance of sweet, sour, spicy and creamy combines white wine, mirin (a sweetened rice wine) and sake with earthy and nutty aged Gruyere cheese and smooth Horseradish and Chive Havarti. Following the Feng Shui Cheese Fondue is the Lettuce Wraps with Mandarin-Orange Ginger Dressing, a light blend of green leaf lettuce, thinly sliced cucumber, curly carrots, bean sprouts, fresh mint and cilantro.

The new entree course offers a choice of fresh meats and seafood including some new items like the Kiwi Lime Shrimp, Garlic Chili Chicken Breast, Sesame Crusted Teriyaki Sirloin, Citrus Infused Pork Tenderloin, Sushi Style Ahi Tuna and Spring Vegetable Dumplings. For dessert, Chef Shane concocted a Passion Fruit Yin and Yang Fondue, which is The Melting Pot’s signature decadent dark chocolate swirled together with red passion fruit-infused white chocolate.

In spite of the current economic conditions, The Melting Pot continues to heavily invest in research and development for all of the limited-time Big Night Out menu features, which drop every six months. Chef Shane Schaibly, along with The Melting Pot’s executive leadership team, thoroughly test new menu items and solicit feedback from franchisees nationwide before implementing any new recipe. Extensive testing is done in Tampa, Fla., to ensure all of the ingredients are the highest quality items.

To make reservations, find locations or view the complete menu, visit http://www.meltingpot.com.

With 145 restaurants nationwide, existing locations in 37 states including the District of Columbia, and over 13 locations currently in development, The Melting Pot Restaurants Inc. is North America’s premier fondue restaurant franchise. At The Melting Pot, fondue becomes a memorable four-course dining experience where patrons can dip into something different. Guests enjoy a choice of four flavorful fondue cooking styles and a variety of unique entrées combined with special dipping sauces. The menu also includes creamy cheese fondues, lively salads, fine wines and mouthwatering chocolate fondue desserts. Founded in 1975, The Melting Pot’s corporate headquarters are in Tampa, Fla.

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