Is Australia ready for the melted sandwich? The directors of US franchise chain Melt Shop certainly believe so.

Australia is one of the brand’s targeted overseas markets.

“Australia is exciting and filled with potential. With the right partners, we could see Australia becoming a strong market for Melt Shop,” said Spencer Rubin, Melt Shop’s founder and managing partner.

Rubin believes the company is perfectly positioned to begin franchising internationally and in addition to Australia is looking to expand across the globe with the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Japan, China, India, Mexico, South America, Canada and Western Europe on the destinations list.

“We recently expanded into the Middle East and will open seven locations in the region, with four opening in Kuwait by March 2018.”

So what exactly is the Melt Shop and why is it a viable business opportunity?

It was established in 2011 and now has eight corporate locations in New York, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis. Parent company Aurify Brands is a hospitality-focused business founded by multi-unit franchisees.

The Melt Shop has an ambitious global target of more than 100 locations over the next five years.

“Melt Shop has spent the last six years tirelessly perfecting our brand and business model. The timing is right to bring our New York-born fast casual concept to the world,” said Rubin.

High-quality ingredients and freshly baked bread are crucial elements to success.

“Melted sandwiches possess the unique ability to be instantly recognisable and familiar in any market and we see immense potential to grow through franchising. It’s a strong investment opportunity for entrepreneurs excited about being part of a franchise concept’s early growth story. This is just the beginning.”

The business is targeting experienced operators who have existing scale in their business.

“We’re looking for multi-unit franchisees with strong restaurant and hospitality experience and a shared dedication to operational excellence who have a strong knowledge of their market. The ideal partner is a proven leader in the restaurant industry,” said Rubin.

“Keeping the integrity of the Melt Shop brand is very important to us. We will have dedicated operators overseeing the day-to-day of our international locations. An intense and all-encompassing training program will also ensure that no steps are overlooked or missed.

“We strongly believe in compliance and it’s important that we find partners that are dedicated and passionate about the Melt Shop brand. All locations will follow the same processes and quality standards and we’ll do everything to make sure it’s consistent across every location.”