Restaurant Closing Leaves 30 Unemployed

The Melting Pot of Lahaina was located upstairs at the Lahaina Gateway Center. Courtey photo.

By Sonia Isotov

The Melting Pot of Lahaina closed for business on Sunday, Feb. 24 leaving 30 employees out of work.

According to a spokesperson for the parent company, Front Burner Brands, the restaurant closed for economic and financial reasons.

The fondue restaurant opened in 2008 upstairs in the Lahaina Gateway Center, across the highway from the Lahaina Cannery Mall. The Melting Pot of Lahaina was known for its choice of fondue cooking styles and a variety of dipping sauces. The menu also included cheese fondues, salads, fine wines and chocolate fondue desserts.

“We sincerely regret the impact this has had on our guests and our family of team members,” said Alisha dos Santos, the communications manager for Front Burner Brands, in a statement. “There are no plans to re-open the restaurant or open a new Melting Pot restaurant on Maui at this time.”

According to dos Santos, 30 team members have been notified of the closure and each team member received a severance package.