About Our Chef

Shane Schaibly is the corporate chef of Front Burner Brands, restaurant management company for The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. On the culinary side, Schaibly is responsible for overseeing the research, development and cost planning for all of The Melting Pot’s menu offerings. He personally creates and assists in the procurement of all new menu items for The Melting Pot. Schaibly works closely with The Melting Pot’s existing vendor partners and research and development chefs to ensure the fondue chain is putting out more than exceptional food every time.

Shane also oversees the beverage department with responsibilities including creating and procuring all ingredients for The Melting Pot’s new signature cocktails which are released every six months coinciding with the Big Night Out (limited-time feature menu) as well as overseeing the current core wine program and beverage offerings.

“Shane is an extremely talented chef,” said Bob Johnston, CEO of Front Burner Brands. “We all look to Shane for his expertise and creative culinary skills to guide our ongoing menu development.”

Prior to joining The Melting Pot, Schaibly served as lead pastry chef and sous chef for Café Ponte in Clearwater, Fla. Café Ponte features contemporary American cuisine with French, Asian and Italian influences and recently was named “Best in the Tampa Bay/Sarasota Area” by Zagat Survey. Schaibly also previously served as a cook at The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach in Miami Beach, Fla., and graduated at the top of his class from Johnson & Wales University in North Miami, Fla.

Shane lives in Tampa, Fla., with his wife, Lisa, and son, Jackson. He enjoys cooking at home, spending time on Florida’s Gulf of Mexico and collecting tattoos.

With more than 140 restaurants in North America, existing locations in 36 states, Canada and Mexico and more than 15 locations currently in development, The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. is the premier fondue restaurant franchise. Founded in 1975, The Melting Pot continues to be a memorable dining experience. Guests enjoy a choice of fondue cooking styles and a variety of unique entrées combined with dipping sauces. The menu also includes cheese fondues, salads, fine wines and chocolate fondue desserts. The Melting Pot is an affiliate of Front Burner Brands, a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla. For more information, visit www.meltingpot.com.

Chef Snapshot

iPod Playlist:: Something Sublime, or maybe Alkaline Trio on rainy days.
Top 3 Movies:: Top Gun, True Romance, Zoolander… not necessarily in that order, but definitely those 3.
Favorite Dish/Foods:: Anything fondue… seriously though, I love old school German food – my first restaurant job was at a traditional German restaurant when I was like 14 or 15, so that cuisine will always have a special place in my heart. Although really any seafood, I grew up fishing and surfing in the waters of the Gulf - but Grouper, Lobster, Stone Crab, Snapper, I love all of these things prepared almost any way!
Favorite Spice:: Salt. Yep, salt is the one spice everyone overlooks – it really is the spice of the gods. What else makes other things stick out, calm down, shine, darken? It's great and I don’t think people appreciate it enough. I have always been taught to season everything carefully and to have a certain respect for salt in the kitchen!
Favorite Beer:: There are so many great craft beers out there today that I fall in love with a new one in almost every city I visit! Although if I am home and I am not drinking something that I have brewed myself, I will usually go with one of the two below:; Dogfish Head – Squall IPA, the best IPA out right now. It's perfectly balanced and borderline the perfect beer!; Unibroue – Ephemere, awesome summertime beer, brewed with apple must and bottle-fermented – light and fantastic!
How many Tattoos?: Two. One small on my back that I got the day I turned 18 and then one big one that goes from my right wrist all the way up across my entire chest and then back down my entire left arm to the wrist… Lots of stories around all of them – all together I think about 113 hours.
Favorite Hobbies:: Brewing beer at the house. Playing with the puppy, Emma – German Shepherd/Pit Bull mix, so adorable and fun. Just hanging out wherever with my lovely wife, Lisa. She is the girl who will be out there fishing with you, hunting with you, eating BBQ and drinking beer just like one of the guys! Fun to be able to do whatever you want and make someone else happy all at the same time!