The Melting Pot Restaurants, a leading polished casual dining franchise, has opened its first restaurant in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Melting Pot in Riyadh is located on Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Street, nicknamed Thalia Street in Riyadh - a street known for its dining, fashion and retail offerings. Featuring four distinct courses with menu items dipped into heated fondue pots at the centre of each table, The Melting Pot's concept fits well with the hip, modern setting and eclectic community.

"Partnering with The Melting Pot to introduce a turnkey fondue restaurant concept to Saudi Arabia for the first time is incredibly exciting," said Dr Mazen Almugbel, CEO of Mira Foods. "As Riyadh continues to experience major economic growth, we know the residents, vacationers and business travellers of Riyadh will enjoy The Melting Pot's unique dining experience, as well as its variety of menu offerings and specialty cocktails."

Dr. Mazen Almugbel of Mira Foods is the franchisee responsible for debuting The Melting Pot in Saudi Arabia. Mira Foods will develop an additional four Melting Pot restaurants in Saudi Arabia over the next few years. The group is currently considering sites in Jeddah and Riyadh to develop their second location, which is slated to open by the end of the year.

"As Saudi Arabia's capital and buzzing financial centre, it made business sense for us to introduce our unique, fondue-style experience to the city of Riyadh," said president of The Melting Pot Restaurants Mike Lester. "We look forward to continuing our expansion with our franchise partners in the Middle East, which recently kicked off with the opening our first location within the region in Dubai in August 2015."

Last year, The Melting Pot was ranked No. 1 among 40 casual-dining restaurant chains in Nation's Restaurant News'2015 Consumer Picks report. The Melting Pot ranked first in four out of 10 overall attribute categories, achieving top scores in cleanliness, service, atmosphere and craveability. – TradeArabia News Service