The brand earned an Overall Score of 74.8 percent. Overall Scores are based on an average of scores on a variety of attributes — such as Food Quality, Service and Atmosphere — weighted by the importance that diners in that segment put on each attribute.

The fondue chain ranked No. 5 out of 172 chains, from four segments, in the survey and was in a statistical dead heat for best Food Quality in the Casual-Dining segment, with a score of 85 percent. The score reflects the percentage of respondents who said the quality was "outstanding" or "above average."

The chain, a subsidiary of Front Burner Brands Inc., has 135 units. Average unit volumes are about $1.6 million annually.

In diner surveys conducted by The Melting Pot, consumers told the chain's management that they found multiple portions of the same items to be limiting and wanted to order different things and taste each other’s food. The brand has since restructured its menu to offer more customizable and shareable dishes.

The brand has seen success with menu changes tested in 2012 and 2013. The revamp was designed to give customers more choices, in an effort to get them to visit more often and not only for special occasions.

The typical dining experience at The Melting Pot used to be cheese fondue, followed by salad, then meat dipped in broth or oil, then chocolate fondue. Courses were packaged together and priced per couple. The new menu portions and prices items per person and allows diners to customize their choices more.

Among the 40 Casual-Dining chains, the brand received the highest Consumer Picks scores on four out of 10 attributes: Service, Atmosphere, Cleanliness and Craveability. Attribute scores reflect the percentage of respondents who said a chain was "outstanding" or "above average" in that area.

The Melting Pot's two highest scores were 85 percent for Food Quality and 83.4 percent for Service. Next highest were 81.3 for Atmosphere, 79.5 percent for Cleanliness and 78 percent for Reputation.

The chain's lowest scores were 45 percent for Value, 58.8 percent for Likely to Return and 61.8 percent for Menu Variety — all areas which it tried to address with its recent menu revamp.

The chain's other scores were 74.6 percent for Craveability, the highest in the Casual-Dining group, and 77.6 percent for Likely to Recommend, which was just a fraction of a point behind the top finisher in the segment.

The Melting Pot ranked highest among the 26 chains in the Varied Menu/specialty subsegment of Casual Dining. It was the top scorer in the group for five of 10 attributes: Food Quality, Service, Atmosphere, Cleanliness and Craveability.

The majority of the people making the decision to eat at The Melting Pot are women, according to parent Front Burner Brands.

The Melting Pot has brought in entertainers, such as magicians, on nights that are popular with families.

As part of a “localization” campaign, the company has been working with franchisees and regional suppliers to use local produce when available, and franchisees have been given more autonomy to select which special promotions work best for them.

The Melting Pot now offers two major limited-time food offers each year. This year, a summer seafood boil paired with summertime beverages is planned to launch in May.