Previously, I was a bank manager and worked part-time at a Melting Pot on weekends in Coral Springs. That's where I met my partner. I went to North Miami Beach to manage the restaurant. I liked the idea, loved the concept, and got involved in it. The owners gave us control of the restaurant, and we saw everything from the inside. We met with everybody and decided to be franchisees for a career. It was fun; it was good; it made money. The people who we worked for were great and the franchise was terrific. Today we own and operate three locations and my goal is to open up two more Melting Pots in the Chicago area in the future.

I believe the key factors required to succeed in the franchise business are: stability, ease of operation, good execution and a unique, quality product. The Melting Pot has all of these attributes

- Mike Ruffolo
The Melting Pot Multi-Unit Franchisee

I worked at The Melting Pot in Tallahassee, Florida during college. After college, I worked for a state legislator in New York City. Believe it or not, I found a lack of things to do in New York City - there wasn't a fun place to take anybody out for dates. And I kept thinking 'Wow, The Melting Pot would be great up here in the Northeast.' That's when I decided to inquire about the franchise. I found out that Washing ton, DC was an available site, so I moved to Washington. Today I'm involved with six locations and I have plans for more growth in the Washington, DC area before I move on to other cities in other areas of the country.

The Melting Pot differs from other restaurant franchises because of the low overhead and the ease of operation. The Melting Pot corporate office makes it easy for the operators. They provide all the top of the line food we need to operate our restaurants. The only thing franchise operators have to do is give good service. And if you love your job, good service is easy.

- Barry Berkowitz
The Melting Pot Multi-Unit Franchisee