'Celebration restaurant' gets new owners in Sarasota

One of the new owners of the Melting Pot in Sarasota was 16 when he began working there as a dishwasher. It was the first day in business for the fondue restaurant, says Eric Seace, who recently became part-owner of the eatery.

“Halfway through the first night, we ran out of everything,” Seace says, recalling opening day for the Melting Pot in the mid-1980s, when it was behind Saba Plaza, just south of downtown. 

After the entire kitchen staff walked out, “I stayed with the owner,” he says. “Every dish was piled up to the ceiling.”

As the only employee to stay behind, Seace became the “go-to guy” for the owner. He worked his way up to kitchen manager, waiter and then helped manage the restaurant — which he says was the first franchise location for the company.

Just being there is a lesson Seace has seen pay off, from his first day as a dishwasher to his current role as owner-operator. Now he aims to utilize all those lessons, in conjunction with his business partner, majority owner Barry Berkowitz, in running and growing the Sarasota Melting Pot.

Before the new owners bought the Sarasota Melting Pot in February, it was a corporate-owned location. (Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.) The Melting Pot, based in Tampa, has more than 90 locations in the U.S. and Canada.

“It was a corporately run store that was doing fairly well,” Seace says, “but we want it to be fantastic.”

The new ownership group is based in Sarasota, which Seace says is a win for the staff and customers. 

“Employees are telling me I never worked for an owner that picks up the phone every time I call,” Seace says. 

“I go over there and fix stuff,” he adds. “It’s already changed the vibe in there; the service level is up” at the restaurant.

“When ownership cares and is involved, everybody likes that,” Seace says. “They feel like they’re part of the family.”

New look

The Sarasota location, which Seace says did about $2 million in revenue in 2024, is now downtown. It underwent renovations last year. Among the changes are more modern decor; a new bar and larger bar area with room for cocktail and peninsula tables; open floor plan for social gatherings; and a redesigned party room for various group sizes.

As part of the renovation, there are now burners at the bar too, Seace says, so people can visit for happy hour to enjoy a glass of wine and cheese fondue after work.

Photo by Lori Sax

Another new element is local artwork, according to Berkowitz, who also owned the restaurant with his wife from 2000 to 2007.

“You’ll see black-and-white art, all local scenes of the beaches and Selby Gardens, trying to get that local flair,” Berkowitz says. “Everyone thinks we’re corporate, which we’re not.”

He continues: “We’re part of the community. When Riverview’s football team needs a donation, we’re going to do it."

Since taking over in February, the new ownership group has also brought in its own experienced management team and hired some additional servers, according to Berkowitz.

Photo by Lori Sax

In all, the restaurant has a staff of 24, he says.

“It’s very different because everything is done tableside,” Berkowitz says. “We’re not reliant on the kitchen as much; we don’t need a high-paid chef because customers cook their own food. It’s a longer dining experience, but that’s where we thrive, because it’s more of a celebration restaurant — birthdays, anniversaries. Right now we’re doing a big push for graduations, and the last dinner before going away to college.”

Seasoned owners

Members of the new ownership group bring a variety of experiences to the table.

Seace, who in late July sold four Massage Envy locations in Sarasota and Manatee counties, credits his days at the Melting Pot with providing his foundation in business. 

While attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for aeronautical engineering in the 1990s, Seace managed the Melting Pot in Daytona Beach. After graduating, he was offered a job at the chain’s corporate office.

Photo by Lori Sax

“Instead of taking a job in engineering, I decided I wanted to stick with the Melting Pot as my career,” Seace says.

Within the Melting Pot corporate structure, Seace ascended to vice president of operations. In that role, he trained Berkowitz when the restaurateur purchased the Sarasota Melting Pot with his wife in 2000.

Seace “taught me everything I know about fondue,” Berkowitz says.

In 2002, Berkowitz, meanwhile, moved the Melting Pot from behind Saba Plaza, where his lease was ending, to Ringling Boulevard; he says the restaurant needed to expand to 150 seats so it could obtain a full liquor license.

“For restaurants up north, liquor was a big revenue source,” Berkowitz says. “And downtown [Sarasota] was hot — it was the place to be. It still is. It’s going through another resurgence.”

In 2007, Berkowitz and his wife sold the restaurant to the corporate Melting Pot while living out of state.

Then, while in Washington, D.C. he opened multiple Melting Pots — in Rockville, Maryland and Reston and Arlington, Virginia, He also belongs to an ownership group behind Melting Pot restaurants in Philadelphia; Red Bank, New Jersey; and Fort Collins, Colorado.

When Berkowitz and his wife returned to Sarasota in 2012 and asked about buying the restaurant back, they were informed it was not for sale but if the company decided to sell it, he would be the first to know. In the meantime, Berkowitz became part-owner of Rodizio Grill in Sarasota in 2017.

This past winter, Bob Johnston, CEO of the Melting Pot until July and now owner and chairman of the board, called and said he was willing to sell the Sarasota location, Berkowitz says. “With the Sarasota local team in place,” Berkowitz says, “I look forward to a bright future.”