News

The MELT buses rolling through San Fran

September 12, 2012

The MELT, a Bay Area fast casual chain, is rolling out its national 100 MELT Bus fleet as part of its five-year, 500 retail location plan. The MELT "Bus Stop" opens Sept. 13 at the center of San Fran's Ghirardelli Square but will add 14 more stops by year-end.

"We see a future of 'wheels and walls,' the convergence of brick-and-mortar retail and mobile food trucks," said Jonathan Kaplan, founder and CEO of The MELT. "Our new MELT Bus fleet now gives us the ability to bring happiness anywhere, from airports to zoos and everywhere in between."

Unlike traditional food trucks, The MELT Bus will have fixed bus stops with specific hours of operation in high-traffic locations that maximize daypart revenue. The MELT Bus will offer 100 percent of the same focused menu and high quality customer experience of a 2,000-square-foot MELT Store in a 200-square-foot bus, Kaplan said. Bus Stops will also feature portable patios with music, signature orange umbrellas and schoolyard seating.

The buses will also leverage the company's mobile ordering technology that allows online order and pay at melt.com. Customers can scan their QR codes and skip the line at any MELT Store or Bus Stop. Like all MELT retail locations, The MELT Bus will provide a free WiFi hotspot to all customers.

Consistent with The MELT's eco-friendly values, the new bus fleet and its generators are powered by biodiesel, Kaplan said.

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