After years away, The Melting Pot is coming back to Alabama, giving Birmingham-area diners another opportunity to enjoy the restaurant’s signature fondue and a night on the town.

The fondue chain plans to open during the winter season of 2026 at The Village at Lee Branch Shopping Center, according to its Birmingham website. The restaurant will be located at 611 Doug Baker Blvd., Suite 201, serving the Hoover and Birmingham community.

The Melting Pot left Birmingham in 2018, but the company was looking for a way back by 2021, according to the Hoover Patch.

Now, Mike and Nancy Williams are helping make that return happen. The couple signed an agreement to bring the restaurant back to Birmingham, according to a July company announcement. They are also working to open a Melting Pot in Memphis, Tennessee.

Diners who remember sharing a meal around a fondue pot will find familiar favorites at the new restaurant, from cheese fondue and salads to meat and vegetable entrées, followed by chocolate fondue with dessert dippers.

The meal comes in courses, giving guests time to talk and enjoy being together. The restaurant will also have an updated interior, a bar, and weekend lunch.

Melting Pot began in Maitland, Florida, in 1975. More than 50 years later, the company is preparing to welcome Birmingham-area diners back to the table.

The Birmingham website does not yet list an exact opening date. Diners can check the site for updates or sign up for Club Fondue to receive more information as opening day approaches.

Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].