The Melting Pot, a restaurant created in 1975, anticipates their 40th anniversary this year, along with other exciting changes. Once located in Philadelphia, the melting pot can now be found in Maple Shade, New Jersey. The Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant beloved by many amongst the students in Cherry Hill East.

Kimberley Hughes, the manager and owner of the Maple Shade restaurant explains that the Melting Pot decided to relocate from the heart of Philadelphia to Maple Shade, New Jersey because they were looking for more space.

The new location in Maple Shade has brought exciting new innovations. First off, the new location adds seventy more seats to the restaurant. Additionally, with the new location in hand, the Melting Pot implemented a new option for any hungry customer.  This option is known as the “Fondue” versus the “fondone”.

The restaurant located in Maple Shade is the first franchise outside of the corporate store to include this unique option.  This new fondue option incorporates the traditional way of cooking, but also serves everything to your table allowing you to become your own personal chef. The fondone option is the same experience as the Philadelphia location, however the restaurant chefs make all of the food and prepare it for you.

“I think it really depends on the day of the week. If I were to come in with my kids for dinner I would probably do the fondone option because I want it to come in a little quicker, but if I was on a date night I would probably do the fondue because it would take a little bit longer,” said Hughes on her personal preference of the restaurant’s dual food options.

With so many new changes coming to the Melting Pot in Maple Shade, the business decided that adding one more option to the restaurant’s menu would be exciting for the customers. Now the Melting Pot offers four shareable sides with your fondue or fondone meal. The sides include a mushroom risotto, rosemary french fries, four cheese macaroni and cheese, and asparagus with a lemon creme sauce. All of these sides can be ordered with your meal, such as rosemary french fries with a cheese fondue.

“I think we are the only show in town right now so we are very grateful to offer an experience that is different and unique,” said Hughes.

Even though the beautiful location in Philadelphia turned their lights off for the final time and the outdoor sign has brought the “Melting Pot” to a complete black, the new location has opened its doors to exciting new achievements for the future. The new location switch has sparked inspiration for creative advantages and exciting goals for the future and to bring the Melting Pot to a whole new level.