"Grilled Cheese Makes People Happy"

Jonathan Kaplan--a serial entrepreneur who started, among other things, the firm that gave us the Flip camcorder--has a new venture: Melt, a chain of grilled cheese restaurants. He told NPR just the other day:

"Grilled cheese is one of these food items that people talk about with emotional connection," he says. "[The] reaction was pretty much the same: People love grilled cheese."

The first five Melt restaurants will open in the San Francisco area this month. Of course, given Kaplan's Flip background, his restaurants will have tech flair. Customers can place orders remotely via a mobile app. Once each customer is within range of the restaurant, the Melt will complete their orders (using a special machine that cooks the sandwich in one minute). In a hurry? Pay for your order via cell phone, to avoid lines at the checkout.

But can Kaplan parlay a deep-seated love of grilled cheese into a profitable nationwide restaurant chain? Despite the emotional connection consumers have with grilled cheese, the entrepreneur will have to tap into wallets as well as hearts. Plus Kaplan has competition: Melt Bar and Grilled, for one.