OFFICIAL FILING · MN · 2026
THE MELTING POT FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document) — 2026
The FDD is the 23-item legal disclosure every U.S. franchisor must hand you at least 14 days before you sign or pay anything (FTC Franchise Rule, 16 CFR 436). THE MELTING POT's most recent FDD tracked here was filed in 2026 with the Minnesota Department of Commerce (public CARDS portal) — and because registration-state filings are public records, you can read it free, without giving a broker your phone number.
THE SAME DOCUMENT SITES SELL OR GATE BEHIND LEAD FORMS. FILED 2026 · SOURCE STATE MN
| ITEM 5 | Initial franchise fee | $50K |
| ITEM 6 | Ongoing royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| ITEM 7 | Total initial investment | $1.8M–$2.4M |
| ITEM 3 | Disclosed litigation matters | 1 |
| ITEM 19 | Earnings disclosure (FPR) | Yes — median unit volume $1.8M ("The Gross Revenues or Average Unit Volume ("AUV") for the 85 franchised Restaurants open a full 12 months through the end of our fiscal year on March 31, 2026 was $2,041,839, and the average and median yearly AUV for the top third, middle third, and bottom third of these franchised Restaurants is provided in the table below." Table row — Total Restaurants: # of Restaurants 85, Average AUV $2,041,839, #/% Exceeding Average AUV 27 / 32%, Highest AUV $8,831,749, Lowest AUV $695,180, Median AUV $1,771,536. Item 19 preamble: "We set forth below certain historical data for the 89 Restaurants that were open a full 12 months ending fiscal year March 31, 2026 (our '2026 Fiscal Year'). We did not include the 3 franchised Restaurants and 1 Company Owned Restaurant that opened in the 2026 Fiscal Year and that were not open for the entire 2026 Fiscal Year." Thirds: Top Third n=28, Average $3,061,207, Median $2,618,695; Middle Third n=28, Average $1,796,009, Median $1,804,918; Bottom Third n=29, Average $1,294,974, Median $1,351,127. No cost-of-goods percentages are given for franchised Restaurants because the franchisor states it lacks reasonable written substantiation.) |
| ITEM 20 | Outlets (fiscal 2026) | 88 franchised at year end · 0 exits (0.0% annualized) |
| ITEM 21 | Franchisor financial statements | clean (unqualified) audit opinion — CliftonLarsonAllen LLP |
Citation discipline: every figure above is extracted from the 2026 THE MELTING POT FDD as filed and links back to that document. Fields the filing did not state are omitted — nothing here is estimated, surveyed, or filled in from marketing material. FDDs are reissued annually; verify against the current issuance before relying on any number.
THE MELTING POT FDD questions, answered
Where can I download the THE MELTING POT FDD for free?
THE MELTING POT's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is a public record, filed with the Minnesota Department of Commerce (public CARDS portal). It can be downloaded free from the source link on this page — no broker form, no email signup required.
What year is THE MELTING POT's most recent FDD on file?
The most recent THE MELTING POT FDD tracked here was filed in 2026 with the Minnesota Department of Commerce (public CARDS portal). Franchisors must update their FDD annually, so confirm you are reading the current issuance before signing.
Does THE MELTING POT's FDD disclose earnings (Item 19)?
Yes — THE MELTING POT makes a financial performance representation in Item 19 of its 2026 FDD, reporting a median unit volume of $1.8M. Read the basis fine print: franchisors choose which units and metrics to include.
What does THE MELTING POT's FDD Item 20 show?
In fiscal 2026, THE MELTING POT ended with 88 franchised outlets; 0 of 85 open at the start of the year left the system — an annualized exit rate of 0.0% (terminations, non-renewals, and "ceased operations — other reasons").
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing THE MELTING POT's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
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