Melt Shop announced today the opening of a new corporate-owned restaurant location in Manhattan’s Union Square neighborhood. On the heels of a successful 2018 that included positive comp sales and a robust development pipeline, the fast casual leader has started 2019 with its first New York City opening in four years. Located at 135 4th Ave., the new Melt Shop marks the brand’s fifth restaurant in the city and ninth in the state.
“It was only eight years ago that we opened the first Melt Shop as a walk-up counter in Midtown, so to see how far we’ve come, opening our fifth restaurant in the city, is a very proud moment for us,” says Spencer Rubin, founder and CEO of Melt Shop. “Although we’ve been developing rapidly outside New York City, we’ve never forgotten where we came from and believe it’s important we stay true to our roots. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to grow throughout the city, branching into new neighborhoods and growing our footprint in our hometown.”
The brand’s first opening of 2019, Melt Shop in Union Square features the company’s newest storefront design and kitchen package. This includes Melt Shop’s signature double-stacked conveyor oven that enhances food quality and shortens ticket wait times. Melt Shop in Union Square will also feature the brand’s latest innovations, including Housemade Chicken Tenders and the Vegan Burger Melt, as well as online ordering and delivery utilizing the brand’s newest fully-insulated packaging.
“Since Melt Shop’s inception, the thing we’ve prided ourselves on the most is our uncompromising commitment to the quality of our products and experience—not only for our guests, but for our franchisees, as well. We believe it’s these components that have made Melt Shop an influential player in the fast casual restaurant space today,” says Rubin.
Melt Shop is looking to continue its expansion in New York and beyond and is seeking well-capitalized multi-unit franchisees in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions, as well as in Florida, who are entrepreneurial, have a strong knowledge of their markets, and are excited to be a part of a culinary experience unmatched in the melted sandwich space. Since launching into franchising in September 2017, Melt Shop has added 20 restaurants to the pipeline and remains well ahead of its goal to open 100 locations by 2023.
Founded in 2011 in New York City, Melt Shop has grown to 14 locations in and around New York City, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Delaware, and New Jersey.