The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., announced Monday its first restaurant in the United Arab Emirates has opened in Dubai. This is the fifth international location for the company, which made its overseas debut earlier this year in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The Melting Pot in Dubai is located in BOXPARK, an offbeat, outdoor concept in the urban district of the city offering a selection of unique retail experiences and dining options from around the world.
"Dubai is a vibrant, modern city that is ideally suited for The Melting Pot's very social and interactive, casual dining experience," says Mike Lester, president of The Melting Pot. "Introducing our delicious fondue styles to an international audience is very rewarding, and we look forward to working with more entrepreneurs around the globe as we continue our franchise expansion."
Ziad Kaddoura and Mohammed Charafeddine of Hospitality Concepts and Solutions (HCS) are the franchisees bringing The Melting Pot to the United Arab Emirates. They have over 50 years of combined experience in hospitality consulting and management, and have a multi-unit development agreement to bring several more locations across the following Gulf Coast Countries: United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman.
"Hospitality Concepts and Solutions is proud to be introducing The Melting Pot and the fondue restaurant concept to Dubai," says Charafeddine, managing partner of HCS. "This is the first of its kind in the Middle East and in time, we are sure that The Melting Pot will 'fondue' its own niche in this competitive market."
The Melting Pot franchise is focused on expanding its international footprint in select markets across Brazil, Canada, China, India, Japan, and South Korea, and is on track to open its first restaurant in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, later this year, as well as a third location in Pedregal, in the southern part of Mexico City, Mexico. Domestically, the company is seeking new franchisees in markets including Anchorage, Alaska, Dallas, Hartford, Connecticut, and Los Angeles, as well as Memphis and Chattanooga, Tennessee.
