SAN FRANCISCO, CA – As we reported last week, MELT is planning on a rapid expansion into the mobile food industry. According to the company, the first MELT “Bus Stop” will be at the center of the historic San Francisco landmark Ghirardelli Square and is scheduled to open today Thursday, September 13. The MELT Bus fleet plans to expand to 15 new locations by year-end.

“We see a future of ‘wheels and walls,’ the convergence of brick-and-mortar retail and mobile food trucks,” said Jonathan Kaplan, founder and CEO of The MELT. “Our new MELT Bus fleet now gives us the ability to bring happiness anywhere, from airports to zoos and everywhere in between.”

Unlike traditional food trucks, The MELT Bus will have fixed Bus Stops with specific hours of operation in high-traffic locations that maximize day-part revenue. The MELT Bus will offer 100% of the same focused menu and high quality customer experience of a 2,000 square foot MELT Store in a 200 square foot MELT Bus. Bus Stops will also feature potable patios complete with music, signature orange umbrellas and schoolyard seating.

The MELT Bus will also leverage the company’s innovative mobile ordering technology that enables online order and pay at melt.com. Customers can scan their QR code and skip the line at any MELT Store or Bus Stop. Like all MELT retail locations, The MELT Bus will provide a free WiFi hotspot to all customers.

Consistent with The MELT’s eco-friendly values, the new bus fleet and its generators are powered by biodiesel. Visit melt.com for a complete list of their retail locations, including all Bus Stops, and operating hours.

Do you think this new approach to mobile food will be mimicked by non-corporate sponsored mobile food vendors? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.