The Melting Pot to debut on A&E program

A marketing overture is paying off for the Tampa-based restaurant franchise The Melting Pot, after it reached out to producers of the A&E show “Undercover Boss.” The restaurant group will be featured in a Dec. 9 episode of “Be the Boss,” an A&E spinoff.

In the reality TV episode, two Melting Pot employees compete for a promotion, with the show ultimately revealing an even greater opportunity for one of the competitors to win a franchise. Bob Johnston, CEO of Front Burner Brands, the Tampa-based umbrella group for The Melting Pot and other restaurant brands, appears on the program, along with Jason Long, general manager of The Melting Pot of Warrington, Pa., and Terry Love, lead server at the restaurant in Louisville, Ky.

Part of the episode was taped in Tampa. Getting the TV appearance was a coup, but it took effort.

“The executive producer flew out here months ago before we were selected, to learn more about the company and see if we would be a fit for a future show,” says Alisha dos Santos, communications manager for Front Burner Brands. “We had been interested in pursuing the TV experience. We first contacted the production company and got into talking with the production crew for this show.”

Front Burner Brands did not pay for the TV appearance she says, although it stands to gain a great deal of publicity. “I'm not sure of the advertising value on a current A&E show, but it could even be $1 million in advertising equivalency.”

The restaurant is unveiling a new menu early in 2013, and hopes the TV program will spur interest in the updated offerings.

The Melting Pot has more than 140 locations throughout North America and is developing restaurants in the Middle East. “We have five deals in Saudi Arabia” alone, says dos Santos. Total revenue for The Melting Pot franchise in 2011 was $232.9 million, up from $221.6 million in 2010.