The Melting PotRestaurants, Inc. announced its first restaurant in Saudi Arabia has opened in Riyadh. In addition to Riyadh, The Melting Pot has five international locations open and 15 others in development across the globe.
The Melting Pot in Riyadh is located on Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Street, nicknamed Thalia Street in Riyadh—a street known for its dining, fashion, and retail offerings. Featuring four distinct courses with menu items dipped into heated fondue pots at the center of each table, The Melting Pot's concept fits well with the hip, modern setting and eclectic community.
"Partnering with The Melting Pot to introduce a turnkey fondue restaurant concept to Saudi Arabia for the first time is incredibly exciting," says Dr. Mazen Almugbel, CEO of Mira Foods. "As Riyadh continues to experience major economic growth, we know the residents, vacationers and business travelers of Riyadh will enjoy The Melting Pot's unique dining experience, as well as its variety of menu offerings and specialty cocktails."
Dr. Almugbel is the franchisee responsible for debuting The Melting Pot in Saudi Arabia. With around seven years of combined foodservice and franchising experience, the franchise group also owns four other restaurants, including two Noodle House franchises. As part of the franchise agreement, Mira Foods will develop an additional four Melting Pot restaurants in Saudi Arabia over the next few years. The group is currently considering sites in Jeddah and Riyadh to develop their second location, which is slated to open by the end of the year.
"As Saudi Arabia's capital and buzzing financial center, it made business sense for us to introduce our unique, fondue-style experience to the city of Riyadh," says Mike Lester, president of The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. "We look forward to continuing our expansion with our franchise partners in the Middle East, which recently kicked off with the opening our first location within the region in Dubai in August 2015."
The Melting Pot operates more than 125 restaurants across 35 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, and has 15 locations in development internationally.
