Melt Shop’s future — and past — is in franchisingMelt Shop’s future — and past — is in franchising

In 2011, some Five Guys restaurant operators in New York decided to use their experience to start their own brands, beginning with a grilled-cheese concept called Melt Shop.

Those operators are leaning on their extensive Five Guys experience once again — this time to expand their growing Melt Shop brand. Melt Shop said last week that it will start franchising, having perfected a system the company believes can be easily expanded.

“They have a system,” Josh Morgan, operating partner at Melt Shop parent company Aurify Brands, said of Five Guys, “and they’ve perfected that system over 20-plus years. They’re more about burgers and fries than finishes on the walls. We hope to take a similar approach. We’re evolving all the time trying to perfec...