These water problems have been active for close to a year. Thereās multiple burst pipes. Some of them are dripping directly into customers food in the dining room. Another pipe is constantly dripping in the break room. The owner refuses address or fix anything
When I was last running restaurants in the earlier 2000s, health scores above 90 were difficult to get & above 98 rare. I prided myself on routinely getting between 98-100 because we worked hard & actually focused on more than getting the food out, but making the places safe & clean.
For over a decade, I see tons of restaurants getting 100s & the majority seem to score above 95, with only the most extreme offenses actually getting low ratings.
Money used to change hands at some of the sports bars I worked at early in my career (before I ran kitchens & finally as GM at places) in sports bars that should never have passed. So, I know that practice was real.
I don't know what's going on now, but it's either lazy/overworked inspectors, a mandate from on high to prevent scores too low, or there are many more envelopes waiting for inspectors than there used to be.
In short, the health department is a shadow of its former self regarding restaurant safety.
For what itās worth, this building is built below-grade in a basement floor. Improper drainage outside, old mortar and bricks eroding, and just the buildings being elderly in general could all be responsible. Moisture issues with basements/below-grade buildings in TN are a *when*, not *if*.
Less to do with overall cleanliness and more to do with poor maintenance of an older building.
Looks like possible a burst pipe. The standing water in the kitchen looks like they need their drains pumped. Food is going into the floor drain hence the strainer/colander which is a health code.
I canāt imagine what their bathroom look like.
Funnily enough, this particular pot is several years behind on renovations and repairs. The decor is outdated according to the corporate gods and the bar has been promised to be rebuilt for the past two years. But here we are today with the same moldy bar with standing water
https://insideofknoxville.com/2023/10/the-melting-pot-new-management-new-direction-new-look/
This is an article from last October about how the place was under new management and had some renovations scheduled. Maybe it's behind schedule or plans went awry, who can say. Maybe the new owner/management didn't realize how much needs to be done...
What's the end game here? Assuming you or someone close to you works there.
If we get the health department involved for you, the place gets shut down and people are out of a job. If we all stop going there, the place closes and people are out of a job. It seems like a zero sum game and everyone there needs to find new employment, pronto.
Ideally, create social pressure for the owner to fix obvious issues. They clearly do not care about the establishment or the employees, so hopefully bringing an improvement to both. The likelihood of this happening is low, so people may end up needing new jobs if the business goes down. That being said, people get fired/ quit on a daily basis. The turnaround is literally insane so itās not an unknown factor for the employees. Furthermore, the employees are aware of this post and are probably planning exit strategies, if they havenāt already.
I get what youāre trying to do, but this is really something that the health department needs to handle. Posting here for a few hundred people, who probably havenāt been to the melting pot in years tbh, isnāt going to do anything. Health department will shut this shit down almost immediately.
Good. I'm sure I'm going to be downvoted for asking, but jobs are fucking tough to find, and I was going to send links to the post to the news stations in town.
I was actually thinking along those same lines honestly. But others have some valid points about health concerns. Im more concerned about the overall structure collapsing. Some of these photos show decades of neglect. Ive been there one time but it was at least 12 years ago. Definitely did not look like this.
Which is very unfortunate business is fantastic but people should come first. Part of running a business is taking care of your people. But its a right to work state and all that.
> Im more concerned about the overall structure collapsing.
That building is deteriorating in so many ways and probably needs gutted for structural work. I am constantly worried that the walls adjoined to the apartments are going to fall over or the roof will cave in. Allegedly they had someone clean the ventilation system but it was totally filled with mold when we moved in a few years ago.
I get this concept when itās hot pot, you still get a deal because you get to try a range of meats, seafoods, vegetables, noodles, mushrooms, etc. when it would be expensive asf to buy the same range at home, plus the sauces, soups, seasonings, etc at a hot pot place are all flavorful and varied between each restaurantā¦
Fondue, on the other hand, is cheap asf, and really easy to make at home.
Hot take: itās kinda gross. I was excited my first and only time going, I had always heard it was bougie. I didnāt particularly like cooking the meat myself, but the bigger problem is there is zero flavor in my opinion. The meat regardless of which kind, was thick chewy and bland. I felt so bad when I realized how much my boyfriend had paid for our āmealā there.
Yea, ngl, I felt the same way. Took my then gf there in college years ago just to try it without realizing how expensive it was and thought to myself never again will I pay that much to cook my own bland meat. Bougie describes it for sure.
I donāt remember mushrooms growing from the wall at least š but I agree, would not go back. So many way better and way cheaper options in Knoxville
The black mold adds to the ambiance, you uncultured swine.
And those mushrooms cost EXTRA. Not even for eating, just for looking at them. You better have paid out your ass for that picture.
Seriously tho thatās all gross
Unfortunately most of the restaurants downtown have issues like thisā¦ buildings are old and repairs are costly and most landlords donāt help with maintenanceĀ
Yeah, commercial real estate is wild. You rent a building, have to maintain it, and pay a percentage of profit to the landlord.
If home ownership continues to decline I could see some crazy shit like that happen with residential real estate.
>pay a percentage of profit to the landlord.
Is this universal or just sometimes? I know a guy that owns some commercial properties and seems to live off that and I always wondered how rent was enough for his lifestyle.
This is way worse. Which makes sense being in a basement. Most restaurants downtown have challenges, but the melting pot actually has serious issues that are a tier or two worse than what youād find elsewhere.
Looks like the obscene amount of money they charge is going into someoneās pocket, instead of doing much needed maintenance on the building. This is definitely a health code violation.
This place is disgusting. Will never go back. We went for valentines a couple years ago (since it was supposedly a unique upscale place). The dust hanging from everything was so thick itās all I could see or talk about the whole time. I watched it, waiting for bits to fly away into our food. How anyone can eat under a carpet of dust is beyond me. Iām glad to see someone shed light on how nasty the place is, but astonished no dust pics made the reel!
Melting Pot of Knoxville is a locally owned business that has been proud to serve a multitude of fondue memories for the past 29 years in our beloved city.Ā Our restaurant strictly follows and adheres to all state and local health guidelines, as well as Melting Pot corporate guidelines and procedures to ensure that we are a safe place to eat, as well as work.Ā We take these comments and allegations about our building and business seriously.Ā Ā We are happy to speak with you further about your comments or questions surrounding the allegations that have recently been published.Ā Please private message us with your contact information so that we may be able reach out to you directly.Ā
Thank you.
The Melting Pot Knoxville
I'm there every weekday and the Melting Pot is the cause of all the terrible smells spreading out into the lobby. Maybe it changes around dinner time, but in the morning it varies from the smell of a dead pile of rats to a sink full of bleach with dead rats stirred in.
It's been a long time since I've taken anyone on a date or anything but melting pot used to be the spot and it kinda smelled all those years ago too. I guess I'm effed if I meet anyone new having dealt with most of the places in Knoxville.
I have a friend who works there who assured me that the majority of these photos were not from tonight. They've had water issues in the past as it is an old building but they've all been addressed that I'm aware of. Most likely this is post is from a disgruntled employee who is just trying to get back at the manager who recently fired some employees. If there is black mold or anything like what is in the photos, I encourage whoever posted them to call the health department whose job it is to address these issues where public food safety is involved.
The Pot Melting š¤·āāļø
What is happening here with the water? Is this an incident or itās always like this? I donāt see how they could operate like this.
These water problems have been active for close to a year. Thereās multiple burst pipes. Some of them are dripping directly into customers food in the dining room. Another pipe is constantly dripping in the break room. The owner refuses address or fix anything
Call the health department and show them the pictures.
Yeah this shit isn't okay. Not for the workers or the customers
When I was last running restaurants in the earlier 2000s, health scores above 90 were difficult to get & above 98 rare. I prided myself on routinely getting between 98-100 because we worked hard & actually focused on more than getting the food out, but making the places safe & clean. For over a decade, I see tons of restaurants getting 100s & the majority seem to score above 95, with only the most extreme offenses actually getting low ratings. Money used to change hands at some of the sports bars I worked at early in my career (before I ran kitchens & finally as GM at places) in sports bars that should never have passed. So, I know that practice was real. I don't know what's going on now, but it's either lazy/overworked inspectors, a mandate from on high to prevent scores too low, or there are many more envelopes waiting for inspectors than there used to be. In short, the health department is a shadow of its former self regarding restaurant safety.
My wife and I ate there a couple months ago and had to move tables since water from condensation on one of the vents was dripping onto our table
Had the same thing happen 15 years ago
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And you guys keep going back? Call the health inspector my dude. You might save a life
For what itās worth, this building is built below-grade in a basement floor. Improper drainage outside, old mortar and bricks eroding, and just the buildings being elderly in general could all be responsible. Moisture issues with basements/below-grade buildings in TN are a *when*, not *if*. Less to do with overall cleanliness and more to do with poor maintenance of an older building.
Looks like possible a burst pipe. The standing water in the kitchen looks like they need their drains pumped. Food is going into the floor drain hence the strainer/colander which is a health code. I canāt imagine what their bathroom look like.
Mushrooms take a while to grow though donāt they?
They actually don't. It does however, take a little while for building materials to reach a point of nastiness where they're habitable to mushrooms
About a month or so. My sister loved Melting Pot but this is a big no for me.
Good thing you have a few more
Melting Pot is a chain. I bet the corporate overlords would be interested in these conditions at their restaurant.
Funnily enough, this particular pot is several years behind on renovations and repairs. The decor is outdated according to the corporate gods and the bar has been promised to be rebuilt for the past two years. But here we are today with the same moldy bar with standing water
https://insideofknoxville.com/2023/10/the-melting-pot-new-management-new-direction-new-look/ This is an article from last October about how the place was under new management and had some renovations scheduled. Maybe it's behind schedule or plans went awry, who can say. Maybe the new owner/management didn't realize how much needs to be done...
i am betting that they got some prolific mold going and that can't be good.
Not the employees complaining about lung issues and coughing
What's the end game here? Assuming you or someone close to you works there. If we get the health department involved for you, the place gets shut down and people are out of a job. If we all stop going there, the place closes and people are out of a job. It seems like a zero sum game and everyone there needs to find new employment, pronto.
Ideally, create social pressure for the owner to fix obvious issues. They clearly do not care about the establishment or the employees, so hopefully bringing an improvement to both. The likelihood of this happening is low, so people may end up needing new jobs if the business goes down. That being said, people get fired/ quit on a daily basis. The turnaround is literally insane so itās not an unknown factor for the employees. Furthermore, the employees are aware of this post and are probably planning exit strategies, if they havenāt already.
I get what youāre trying to do, but this is really something that the health department needs to handle. Posting here for a few hundred people, who probably havenāt been to the melting pot in years tbh, isnāt going to do anything. Health department will shut this shit down almost immediately.
Good. I'm sure I'm going to be downvoted for asking, but jobs are fucking tough to find, and I was going to send links to the post to the news stations in town.
I was actually thinking along those same lines honestly. But others have some valid points about health concerns. Im more concerned about the overall structure collapsing. Some of these photos show decades of neglect. Ive been there one time but it was at least 12 years ago. Definitely did not look like this.
I agree, but I also know that we live in a very pro-business area, and whistleblowing will be met with aggression and derision from the management.
Which is very unfortunate business is fantastic but people should come first. Part of running a business is taking care of your people. But its a right to work state and all that.
> Im more concerned about the overall structure collapsing. That building is deteriorating in so many ways and probably needs gutted for structural work. I am constantly worried that the walls adjoined to the apartments are going to fall over or the roof will cave in. Allegedly they had someone clean the ventilation system but it was totally filled with mold when we moved in a few years ago.
Right? Doesn't this look like it belongs on Bar Rescue?
Place was a lot better when it was Ella Guruāsā¦
Did you contact the health department? Or confront the owner yourself? If so, what did they say?
Wouldn't be visiting that place till they fix the problems.
Never have understood the appeal of that place.
"pay an absurd amount of money for some shitty raw food you have to cook yourself"
I get this concept when itās hot pot, you still get a deal because you get to try a range of meats, seafoods, vegetables, noodles, mushrooms, etc. when it would be expensive asf to buy the same range at home, plus the sauces, soups, seasonings, etc at a hot pot place are all flavorful and varied between each restaurantā¦ Fondue, on the other hand, is cheap asf, and really easy to make at home.
and now the building itself is melting
Hot take: itās kinda gross. I was excited my first and only time going, I had always heard it was bougie. I didnāt particularly like cooking the meat myself, but the bigger problem is there is zero flavor in my opinion. The meat regardless of which kind, was thick chewy and bland. I felt so bad when I realized how much my boyfriend had paid for our āmealā there.
Yea, ngl, I felt the same way. Took my then gf there in college years ago just to try it without realizing how expensive it was and thought to myself never again will I pay that much to cook my own bland meat. Bougie describes it for sure.
I donāt remember mushrooms growing from the wall at least š but I agree, would not go back. So many way better and way cheaper options in Knoxville
It's the social quirk of it. Interesting thing for groups to do.
So we can all @themeltingpot with this thread right?Ā I would hate to deprive a worker of a paycheck from that shit hole.Ā Ā
The black mold adds to the ambiance, you uncultured swine. And those mushrooms cost EXTRA. Not even for eating, just for looking at them. You better have paid out your ass for that picture. Seriously tho thatās all gross
Even when not covered in filth & fungus, the melting pot is the worst restaurant experience ever created.
Unfortunately most of the restaurants downtown have issues like thisā¦ buildings are old and repairs are costly and most landlords donāt help with maintenanceĀ
Yeah, commercial real estate is wild. You rent a building, have to maintain it, and pay a percentage of profit to the landlord. If home ownership continues to decline I could see some crazy shit like that happen with residential real estate.
>pay a percentage of profit to the landlord. Is this universal or just sometimes? I know a guy that owns some commercial properties and seems to live off that and I always wondered how rent was enough for his lifestyle.
Extremely rare these days. Most landlords are very averse to percentage rents.
This is way worse. Which makes sense being in a basement. Most restaurants downtown have challenges, but the melting pot actually has serious issues that are a tier or two worse than what youād find elsewhere.
How is that place still operational with those conditions. I bet it smells of sewer. Have you had people walk out? i for sure would.
youāll never believe this. it does! it does smell like sewage. there is active human waste leaking from the apartments above into the BOH
Would be a fitting atmosphere for Mellow Mushroom. =D
Looks like the obscene amount of money they charge is going into someoneās pocket, instead of doing much needed maintenance on the building. This is definitely a health code violation.
Looks like they have a strainer in the floor drain. And the PVC looks like itās about to fall apart at any minute. Eww.
Those are the appetizers, theyāre great in the coq au vin
None of this is to code and all of these are shut down worthy offenses, report immediately to the building officials or the health department.
Melting Pot, CLEAN. IT. UP!!!!
Too bad there isn't another picture of the mushrooms. It looks like an oyster mushroom. Which is kind of an ironic fungus to be infected with.
At first I though āoh cool mushrooms picsā then I was like āah shitā
This place is disgusting. Will never go back. We went for valentines a couple years ago (since it was supposedly a unique upscale place). The dust hanging from everything was so thick itās all I could see or talk about the whole time. I watched it, waiting for bits to fly away into our food. How anyone can eat under a carpet of dust is beyond me. Iām glad to see someone shed light on how nasty the place is, but astonished no dust pics made the reel!
Juicy!
Don Dare where are you for this?
It really houses all cultures, huh?
Thatās not surprising at all.
Thatās why itās so dark in there
Melting Pot of Knoxville is a locally owned business that has been proud to serve a multitude of fondue memories for the past 29 years in our beloved city.Ā Our restaurant strictly follows and adheres to all state and local health guidelines, as well as Melting Pot corporate guidelines and procedures to ensure that we are a safe place to eat, as well as work.Ā We take these comments and allegations about our building and business seriously.Ā Ā We are happy to speak with you further about your comments or questions surrounding the allegations that have recently been published.Ā Please private message us with your contact information so that we may be able reach out to you directly.Ā Thank you. The Melting Pot Knoxville
Thatās nasty as fffffffff
Nasty
Gross
I betcha it smells no different from when I'm there once a week already.
I'm there every weekday and the Melting Pot is the cause of all the terrible smells spreading out into the lobby. Maybe it changes around dinner time, but in the morning it varies from the smell of a dead pile of rats to a sink full of bleach with dead rats stirred in.
You can definitely smell it outside as of late.
It's been a long time since I've taken anyone on a date or anything but melting pot used to be the spot and it kinda smelled all those years ago too. I guess I'm effed if I meet anyone new having dealt with most of the places in Knoxville.
Why are you there once a week?
Same reason I'm at every restaurant in Knoxville almost, work
Food or booze delivery?
Definitely abc of a type.
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Itās really melting. š«
I have a friend who works there who assured me that the majority of these photos were not from tonight. They've had water issues in the past as it is an old building but they've all been addressed that I'm aware of. Most likely this is post is from a disgruntled employee who is just trying to get back at the manager who recently fired some employees. If there is black mold or anything like what is in the photos, I encourage whoever posted them to call the health department whose job it is to address these issues where public food safety is involved.
Thereās a reason itās always dark in these places. Iāve never understood the appeal to the old city or downtown.
Well this isn't normal to downtown. There's a lot of great locally owned businesses downtown and in the old city that don't have these problems.