April 12 is a special day: National Grilled Cheese Day.
And where better to grab one than a "grilled cheeserie"? Now that grilled cheese concept Melt Shop has comfortably ensconced itself in Manhattan, it's looking to expand — mostly targeting malls, which is an interesting move given the uncertain future of food courts.
Yet the chain's parent company, Aurify Brands, is no stranger to scaling up. With a massive Five Guys franchise group in New York, Melt Shop has some serious experience behind it.
Melt Shop has four locations in Manhattan, so I decided to head over to one to see if the chain has what it takes to make it nationwide.
There are four Melt Shops in NYC, one on Long Island, and one upstate — I'm visiting the 26th Street store, dangerously close to our offices.
Most of the shops are cozy affairs — low on space but well organized and clean.
The menu is fairly simple. There are 11 sandwich options ranging from the classic grilled cheese to a packed turkey club, as well as several sides including the traditional tomato soup. Interestingly, the menus differ slightly at some locations, so what you see here may not be all that's available. Not sure if the "artisanal" sobriquet fits, but we'll see.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider