Mellow Mushroom
Encyclopedia
Mellow Mushroom is a pizzeria that started in Atlanta, Georgia
and operates as a restaurant
franchise
with over 100 locations nationwide.
Mellow Mushroom specializes in pizza, but also serves calzone
s, hoagies, salad
s, and appetizers. Pizza is sold in three sizes, but slices are available during lunch and late night at some locations. Some Mellow Mushrooms deliver; those that do not have a pick-up option. They often feature a large selection of beer
, typically 20-40 beers on draft and 50 or more bottles. Each store is decorated differently and sometimes there is a unifying theme to the artwork. Tie-dye and colorful mushrooms are a common theme for locations. Some stores occasionally feature live music, trivia competitions, or bingo. Many of the locations participate in a beer-purchase loyalty program
. The franchise aims to give customers a "relaxing yet eclectic dining experience" with "easygoing atmosphere and funky decor" Mellow Mushroom also sells branded merchandise and clothing on their website and at stores.
Mellow Mushroom was started by two Georgia Tech
roommates in the early 1970s. They were soon joined by a student from the University of Georgia.
The first location is no longer there, but was located near the Georgia Tech campus on Spring Street in Atlanta, GA. There are several dozen locations operating in Atlanta, and elsewhere in Georgia
, Colorado
, Louisiana
, Indiana
, Virginia
, South Carolina
, Florida
, Texas
, Mississippi
, Alabama
, North Carolina
, Kentucky
, Arkansas
, Arizona
, Ohio
, Tennessee
, and the District of Columbia. Most stores are within the Southern United States, with a high concentration of them in college towns.
Mellow Mushroom started to sell franchises in 1985. The first Mellow Mushroom to be located outside of Atlanta was in Athens, Georgia
, near the University of Georgia
. That store renovated an old Wendy's
and was open until 2006. In the summer of 2007, a new Mellow Mushroom opened in Athens on Clayton Street.
Beginning in 2000, the Mellow Mushroom has expanded outside of college markets to both urban area
s such as Jacksonville and Denver Metropolitan Area. In 2010, the following locations have opened: Johnson City, TN, Germantown, TN, Suwanee, GA, Pigeon Forge, TN, Denver, CO, Hickory, NC, Charlotte, NC, and Wilder, KY. As of November 2011, the following locations have opened: Washington, DC, Portland, OR, Rogers, AR, Arlington, TX, Cary, NC, Lexington, SC, Fayetteville, NC, Rome, GA, Southern Pines, NC, a second location in Charleston, SC, Tempe, AZ, Dublin, OH, Florence, SC and Gatlinburg, TN. By the end of 2011, there will be locations in Bristol, VA, a second location in Chattanooga, TN and a second location in Charlotte, NC. A location will also open up early 2012 in Greenville, NC.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
and operates as a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
with over 100 locations nationwide.
Mellow Mushroom specializes in pizza, but also serves calzone
Calzone
A calzone Italian: , "stocking" or "trouser") is a turnover that originates from Italy. It is shaped like a semicircle, made of dough folded over and filled with ingredients common to pizza....
s, hoagies, salad
Salad
Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes, including vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, eggs, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They may include a mixture of cold and hot, often including raw vegetables or fruits.Green salads include leaf...
s, and appetizers. Pizza is sold in three sizes, but slices are available during lunch and late night at some locations. Some Mellow Mushrooms deliver; those that do not have a pick-up option. They often feature a large selection of beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
, typically 20-40 beers on draft and 50 or more bottles. Each store is decorated differently and sometimes there is a unifying theme to the artwork. Tie-dye and colorful mushrooms are a common theme for locations. Some stores occasionally feature live music, trivia competitions, or bingo. Many of the locations participate in a beer-purchase loyalty program
Loyalty program
Loyalty programs are structured marketing efforts that reward, and therefore encourage, loyal buying behavior — behavior which is potentially beneficial to the firm....
. The franchise aims to give customers a "relaxing yet eclectic dining experience" with "easygoing atmosphere and funky decor" Mellow Mushroom also sells branded merchandise and clothing on their website and at stores.
History
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
roommates in the early 1970s. They were soon joined by a student from the University of Georgia.
The first location is no longer there, but was located near the Georgia Tech campus on Spring Street in Atlanta, GA. There are several dozen locations operating in Atlanta, and elsewhere in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, and the District of Columbia. Most stores are within the Southern United States, with a high concentration of them in college towns.
Mellow Mushroom started to sell franchises in 1985. The first Mellow Mushroom to be located outside of Atlanta was in Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
, near the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
. That store renovated an old Wendy's
Wendy's
Wendy's is an international fast food chain restaurant founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The company decided to move its headquarters to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. It has been owned by Triarc since 2008...
and was open until 2006. In the summer of 2007, a new Mellow Mushroom opened in Athens on Clayton Street.
Beginning in 2000, the Mellow Mushroom has expanded outside of college markets to both urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
s such as Jacksonville and Denver Metropolitan Area. In 2010, the following locations have opened: Johnson City, TN, Germantown, TN, Suwanee, GA, Pigeon Forge, TN, Denver, CO, Hickory, NC, Charlotte, NC, and Wilder, KY. As of November 2011, the following locations have opened: Washington, DC, Portland, OR, Rogers, AR, Arlington, TX, Cary, NC, Lexington, SC, Fayetteville, NC, Rome, GA, Southern Pines, NC, a second location in Charleston, SC, Tempe, AZ, Dublin, OH, Florence, SC and Gatlinburg, TN. By the end of 2011, there will be locations in Bristol, VA, a second location in Chattanooga, TN and a second location in Charlotte, NC. A location will also open up early 2012 in Greenville, NC.