Investment - The Melt Franchise

Invest in Proven High-Volume Performance

Award-Winning MeltBurgers. Exceptional Unit Economics. Built for Serious Multi-Unit Operators.

Key stats

Average Unit Volume: $3.45M+ (company stores, full-year 2025, mean)
Top 1/3 Tier Stores: Over $5M AUV (mean) and median average of over $4.75M+
Prime Cost Control: COGS ~29–30% | Labor ~25–26% (industry-leading efficiency)
Late-Night Power: Nearly 40% of sales after 8 PM via Melt After Dark
Delivery Strength: Significant portion of sales, Top Tier at 43.1%, average of 38.4%

Why Experienced Operators Should Choose The Melt

High-Volume, Multi-Daypart Engine

Our company restaurants deliver median AUV over $3M, with a mean AUV over $3.4M+, and top performers exceeding $5–6M. Strong lunch, dinner, and a differentiated Melt After Dark program drives nearly 40% of sales after 8 PM—turning slow nights into profit centers most fast-casual brands miss.

Best-in-Class Cost Structure

Prime costs remain tightly controlled: COGS averages ~29.6% and total labor ~25.5% across measured stores—even at high volume. This efficiency, paired with a simplified kitchen (no complex equipment), supports strong EBITDAR and scalability for multi-unit growth.

Delivery & Off-Premise Momentum

Delivery represents a meaningful and growing share of sales (with strong margins after fees), complementing in-store traffic and extending reach without added complexity.

Proven, Operator-Friendly Model

Small footprint, streamlined operations, premium check average (~$24.45), and a craveable menu (Angus & Wagyu melts, more than just burgers) create repeatable success in high-density markets. Average check is much higher depending on revenue channel.

Investment Snapshot

Required Liquid Capital: $300,000+
Opportunity: Multi-unit development for qualified operators
Next Step: Serious inquiries receive the full FDD and detailed 2025 performance substantiation during discovery.

Realistic Investment for a Premium Concept

Our 19 corporate stores were built in California’s high-cost construction market with a quality-first focus. Franchise builds will use refined, cost-optimized prototypes for more typical markets, targeting the lower end of Item 7 ($1,377,166 total estimated investment). ~$300,000 liquid capital guideline.

19 Corporate Stores = De-Risked Model for Franchisees

We intentionally perfected the concept with 19 corporate locations before launching franchising. Item 19 provides detailed financial transparency most new franchisors cannot offer. While we have zero franchise units yet, our corporate execution is battle-tested and our training/support systems are ready to help franchisees succeed from day one.

Important Considerations

Early-stage franchising (no franchise units yet) – mitigated by deep corporate proof and robust training/opening support.
Standard restaurant industry risks (labor, food costs, competition).
How we reduce them: small footprint, streamlined kitchen, Item 19 visibility, and an experienced corporate team.
In FDD Section Item 3, the FDD discloses that no litigation of any kind has been experienced.

Full details and risks are disclosed in the 2026 FDD.