Which costs less to open, Shuckin Shack or The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.?

Shuckin Shack: $500,000 – $1,500,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19); The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.: $1,797,654 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Shuckin Shack. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.

Which has more locations, Shuckin Shack or The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.?

Shuckin Shack: 18 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 61); The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.: 93 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 52). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.

Do Shuckin Shack and The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. disclose financial performance (Item 19)?

Shuckin Shack has reviewed Item 19 figures for 2 location groups; The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. has reviewed Item 19 figures for 8 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

Franchise opportunities compared

Shuckin Shack vs The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

Shuckin Shack2026 FDD

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.2026 FDD

Initial investment · Item 7

Shuckin Shack

$500,000 – $1,500,000

2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

$1,797,654

2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22

Initial franchise fee · Item 5

Shuckin Shack

$15,000

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 12

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

$20

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 14

Royalty · Item 6

Shuckin Shack

3.5% · Percentage of Gross Sales; 3.5% first calendar year, 4.5% second calendar year, 5.5% third and subsequent calendar years

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

Before you compare

Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Shuckin Shack: 2, The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.: 8). Different groups are not directly comparable.

Financial commitment

Disclosure

Shuckin Shack

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

Shuckin Shack

$500,000 – $1,500,000

Total Estimate

2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

$1,797,654

ed Third Parties TOTAL ESTIMATED INITIAL INVESTMENT UNDER THE FRANCHISE PROGRAM (19) — 1797654

2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22

Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

Shuckin Shack

$15,000

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 12

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

$20

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 14

Royalty (Item 6)

Shuckin Shack

3.5% · Percentage of Gross Sales; 3.5% first calendar year, 4.5% second calendar year, 5.5% third and subsequent calendar years

Royalty

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

ITEM 6. OTHER FEES Type of Fee 1 Amount Due Date Remarks Royalty and Service Fee 2 — 5%

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

Shuckin Shack

1.5% of percentage of gross sales; currently 1.5%, up to 2.5%

Brand Development Fund

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

3% of “bdf”). 2 up to — 3%

he Royalty and Service Fee payments. Brand Development Contribution

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

System scale & health

Disclosure

Shuckin Shack

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

Total outlets (Item 20)

Shuckin Shack

Outlets at end of 2025

2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 61

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

Outlets at end of 2026

2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 52

Net outlet change (Item 20)

Shuckin Shack

Calculated: 18 at end of 2023 → 18 at end of 2025

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

Calculated: 92 at end of 2024 → 93 at end of 2026

Outlet exits (Item 20)

Shuckin Shack

Not available

No complete exit records for a year

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

Not available

No complete exit records for a year

Franchising since (Item 1)

Shuckin Shack

2014

2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

1984

From a verified franchisor listing

Franchisor founded (Item 1)

Shuckin Shack

2014

2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

Shuckin Shack

Franchised (14 locations) — revenue

$1,360,886

mean Gross Sales

2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 57

Franchised (16 locations) — revenue

$1,400,416

mean Gross Sales

2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 57

The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Top Third

12 restaurants

other Franchised Top Third

2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 50

Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Middle Third

14 restaurants

other Franchised Middle Third

2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 50

Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Bottom Third

$1,570,349

other Franchised Bottom Third

2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 50

+5 more groups in the full report

Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

Shuckin Shack vs The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.: common questions

Which costs less to open, Shuckin Shack or The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.?: Shuckin Shack: $500,000 – $1,500,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19); The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.: $1,797,654 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Shuckin Shack. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
How do Shuckin Shack and The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. royalties compare?: Shuckin Shack: 3.5% · Percentage of Gross Sales; 3.5% first calendar year, 4.5% second calendar year, 5.5% third and subsequent calendar years (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13); The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.: 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
Which has more locations, Shuckin Shack or The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.?: Shuckin Shack: 18 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 61); The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.: 93 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 52). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
Do Shuckin Shack and The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. disclose financial performance (Item 19)?: Shuckin Shack has reviewed Item 19 figures for 2 location groups; The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. has reviewed Item 19 figures for 8 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

How Franopolis reviews FDD figures