The Main Course with Barbara Castiglia

Food is serious business. Now, on The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia will invite insiders on the front lines of food to share their expertise, strategies, and forecasts for navigating the ever-changing restaurant industry.

How to Put Your Restaurant Franchise’s Growth on the Front Burner

Barbara Castiglia

June 8, 2021

Bob Johnston

Front Burner

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The Melting Pot fondue restaurants are an experiential concept that’s “as much about what’s going on around that fondue pot as it is what’s going on inside the fondue pot,” according to Bob Johnston, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Front Burner. Johnston joined host Barbara Castiglia to discuss the story of The Melting Pot, where Front Burner is headed in the future, and what larger industry trends are on the horizon.

Johnston began his journey with The Melting Pot as a dishwasher and has stayed connected to the brand since. After starting in the “heart of the house,” Johnston moved into customer service and was inspired by the joy restaurants brought to their guests. His older brothers were among the first franchisees for The Melting Pot and their love for the brand and concept led to them buying the company and using franchising to expand into other markets.

Franchising brings quality control questions to the business and that means having the right partner. Johnston looks for partners that aren’t risk-averse but are also sensible enough to use the systems already in place. Franchisees need to be committed to maintaining quality control, but perhaps most importantly they need to have a passion for the smiles they bring to guests. Johnston’s commitment to creating a unique experience for guests is an essential part of the success of The Melting Pot.