Mellow Mushroom

Details

Mellow Mushroom restaurants specialize in pizza but also serve calzones, hoagies, salads, appetizers, such as pretzel bites and a wide beer selection. They often feature a large selection of beer, typically 20-40 beers on draft and 50 or more bottled. Each store is locally owned, operated and decorated differently. Sometimes there is a unifying theme to the artwork. Tie-dye and colorful mushrooms are a common theme for locations. Some locations host events such as trivia nights and live music.

History

Mellow Mushroom opened in Atlanta, Georgia in 1974 when two college students from Georgia Tech, later joined by a third from the University of Georgia, founded a business that reflected their eccentric philosophies. The first restaurant was opened on Spring Street in Atlanta. In the late 1980s, the first franchise was opened by an employee, followed by customer-owned franchises, and then to friends of employees and customers. Each franchise is locally owned and operated with its unique feel.

Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, reviewed a Mellow Mushroom location in Alpharetta, Georgia, in 2019 as part of One Bite reviews, giving the pizza a 6.1 score.

The first franchise outside of Atlanta was in Athens, Georgia, near the University of Georgia. There are several dozen locations operating in Atlanta and elsewhere in Georgia. Beginning in 2000, the franchise expanded outside college markets to urban areas such as Jacksonville, Florida and Denver, Colorado. To date, the chain has over 200 locations across 20 states.

Logo

The visual identity of Mellow Mushroom Pizza was defined during their early franchising phase by Atlanta artist Buddy Finethy. Finethy created and refined the chain's mascot, Mel O. Mushroom, as well as the supporting cast of animated characters that identified the chain.

In November 2024, the company rebranded, changing the color palette to purple and replacing the mushroom character into a drawing of a mushroom, together with launching a new website.

References

References

1. "Mellow Mushroom 2024".
2. [http://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20171010/restaurant-news-mellow-mushroom-coming-to-sarasota ''Restaurant News: Mellow Mushroom Coming to Sarasota'']; column; [[Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Herald Tribune]] Online; accessed February 2018. {{Webarchive. link. (2017-10-14)
3. [https://wydaily.com/business/2017/10/17/mellow-mushroom-pizza-to-open-in-merchants-square-biz/ ''Mellow Mushroom Pizza Coming to Downtown Williamsburg'']; WYDaily Staff; October 17, 2017 article; Williamsburg Yorktown Daily News; accessed February 2018
4. Billotto, Heidi. (11 June 2003). "Mellow Mushroom Restaurant".
5. Wright, Brooke. (March 25, 2019). "Tali Tries Trivia: Mellow Mushroom".
6. (April 23, 2019). "Live + Local Music".
7. "Contact Us".
8. "About Us".
9. "Mellow Mushroom Reviews (Alpharetta, Georgia)". Barstool Sports.
10. Bard Brutzman, Anna. (April 1, 2011). "Honea Path Native Gives Pizzeria Its Mellow Touch".
11. Guszkowski, Joe. (November 8, 2023). "Mellow Mushroom updates its look for the digital age".