Emma Wilson
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers, an American pizza chain, was established in 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia. The first Mellow Mushroom was opened near Georgia Tech's campus on Spring Street by three college friends who wanted to create a pizza joint with a groovy '70s vibe. Fifty years later, the chain has expanded to over 160 locations across 17 states, each with its own unique, funky interior. The psychedelic art and fixtures that Mellow Mushroom is known for can be sourced by franchisees free of charge from a 75,000-square-foot warehouse.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of opening | 1974 |
| Month of opening | Fall |
| Day of opening | Not mentioned |
| Location | Spring Street, Atlanta, Georgia |
| Number of founders | 3 |
| Founder's background | Recent college graduates |
| Founder's field of study | Business marketing, unknown |
| Founder's original career plan | Real estate |
| Founder's original location | University of Georgia |
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What You'll Learn
Mellow Mushroom's first restaurant opened in 1974
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers, an American pizza restaurant chain, opened its first restaurant in 1974. The original Mellow Mushroom was founded by three recent college graduates in Atlanta, Georgia, near the Georgia Tech campus on Spring Street. The founders, who were hippies, wanted to create a pizza joint that served stone-baked pies and embodied the feel-good vibes of the 1970s.
The first Mellow Mushroom restaurant had limited seating, so the founders bought a school bus and parked it outside to provide additional seating. The restaurant's design reflected the individualism, self-expression, and peace-era positivity of the time, with tie-dye and colourful mushrooms as common themes.
The original menu featured a secret dough recipe and red sauce, which remains the same across all locations today. The first Mellow Mushroom also served pizza with pepperoni, peppers, seasoned ricotta cheese, and hot honey, a recipe inspired by Nick DeVito of Chicago. Sustainability was a focus from the start, with natural cardboard pizza boxes and sprouts grown in the restaurants.
Mellow Mushroom has since expanded to over 160 locations across 17 states, with each store locally owned, operated, and decorated differently. The chain is known for its psychedelic art and fixtures, colourful statues, mushroom clocks, and unique door handles, with each location featuring its own unique, funky interior.
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Three college friends founded the chain
In 1974, three college friends opened the first Mellow Mushroom pizzeria on Spring Street in Atlanta, Georgia. The three founders, recent college graduates, were hippies who wanted to create a pizza joint that served stone-baked pies and embodied the feel-good vibes of the 1970s.
The founders were short on funds, so they had to be creative with the restaurant's design and functionality. For example, they bought a school bus to park outside and provide additional seating. They also embraced the art and values of the time, with individualism, self-expression, and peace-era positivity reflected in the restaurant's concept.
One of the founders, Weinstein, studied business marketing at the University of Georgia and originally intended to work in real estate. However, a recession led him to change his plans. He learned to make pizza while working at local restaurants and secured a small space in Sandy Springs for his pie shop. He met Nicholson and Reeves, two Georgia Tech students who were also opening a pizza place, and they decided to join forces.
Weinstein tweaked a recipe inspired by Nick DeVito of Chicago, which is still used today. The original Mellow Mushroom had a limited capacity, with Weinstein recalling that the Spring Street location could fit 19 people "uncomfortably." Despite this, the restaurant's unique vibe attracted creative people, and its popularity grew.
Today, Mellow Mushroom has expanded to over 160 locations across 17 states, with each store locally owned, operated, and decorated differently. The chain still embraces its roots, with a focus on sustainability, all-natural meats, preservative-free cheese, and pizza boxes with a negative carbon footprint.
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The original location was in Atlanta, Georgia
The original location of Mellow Mushroom was in Atlanta, Georgia, near Georgia Tech's campus on Spring Street. It opened in 1974 when three college friends wanted to create a pizza joint that served stone-baked pies and embodied the feel-good vibes of the 70s. The building no longer exists, but the ideals and aesthetics established there continue to influence the brand today.
Mellow Mushroom was founded by three recent college graduates: Weinstein, Nicholson, and Reeves. Weinstein had studied business marketing at the University of Georgia and initially intended to pursue a career in real estate. However, a recession led him to change his plans. He learned to make pizza while working at local restaurants and secured a small space in Sandy Springs for his pie shop. Around the same time, he met Nicholson and Reeves, who were Georgia Tech students opening their own pizza place on 14th and Spring in Midtown. The three friends decided to join forces, and Weinstein tweaked a recipe that is still used today.
The original Mellow Mushroom restaurant didn't have enough tables inside, so the founders bought a school bus and parked it outside to provide additional seating. The founders embraced the artistic and individualistic values of the era, and this was reflected in the design elements of the restaurant. They also prioritised sustainability, growing sprouts in the restaurants and using natural cardboard pizza boxes to avoid the environmental harm caused by bleaching.
Mellow Mushroom has since expanded to over 160 locations across 17 states, but it remains true to its Atlanta roots. Each store is locally owned, operated, and decorated, often featuring psychedelic art and unique items sourced by Weinstein himself. The chain celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024 with limited-time menu items and pop-up happy hours showcasing local and regional beers.
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The chain has since expanded to 170+ locations
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers is an American pizza chain that was established in 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia. The chain has since expanded to over 170 locations across the United States.
The first Mellow Mushroom was opened by three friends and college graduates who wanted to create a pizza joint that served stone-baked pies and embodied the feel-good vibes of the 1970s. The original location was near Georgia Tech's campus on Spring Street and could only fit 19 people. The founders had a limited budget, so they had to get creative with the design elements and functionality of the restaurant. They bought a school bus to park outside and provide additional seating.
The pizza chain quickly gained popularity, and the founders opened five more locations within 12 years in Buckhead, Midtown, Sandy Springs, Avondale Estates, and on Buford Highway. However, they faced challenges with staffing these new locations due to the lack of cell phones at the time. Despite this, Mellow Mushroom continued to expand, and today it has a presence in seventeen states.
Each Mellow Mushroom location is locally owned, operated, and decorated, with a focus on art and unique, funky interiors that reflect the community. The chain is known for its psychedelic art and fixtures, with items like colourful statues, mushroom clocks, and unique door handles sourced by co-founder Weinstein. The chain specializes in pizza but also offers calzones, hoagies, salads, appetizers, and a wide selection of beer.
Mellow Mushroom has recently opened a new prototype store in Grant Park, Atlanta, with a smaller footprint and condensed menu offerings. The company continues to innovate and expand while staying true to its roots, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024 with limited-time menu items and pop-up happy hours.
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Mellow Mushroom is known for its groovy vibes and art
Mellow Mushroom, an American pizza chain, was established in 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia, by three college friends. The founders wanted to create a pizza joint that served delicious stone-baked pizzas and embraced the groovy vibes of the '70s. They were inspired by the hippie culture of the time and wanted to create a fun and creative environment for their customers.
The founders' artistic vision is evident in the unique, funky interiors of each Mellow Mushroom location. The artwork in each store reflects the local community, with school mascots popping up in the Athens and Clemson outposts, for example. Tie-dye and colourful mushrooms are also common themes throughout the chain, with each restaurant featuring a unifying theme in its artwork. The original Mellow Mushroom restaurant, which was located near Georgia Tech's campus on Spring Street, no longer exists, but the ideals and aesthetics established there continue to influence the brand today.
The company's psychedelic art and fixtures are well-known, with colourful statues, mushroom clocks, and unique door handles sourced by co-founder Weinstein himself. Franchisees can select these items from a 75,000-square-foot warehouse free of charge and even have them painted upon request. Mellow Mushroom's commitment to art is also evident in its newest prototype store in Grant Park, Atlanta, which features a giant mushroom statue as its centrepiece and a mural by Atlanta artist Lela Brunet and Asheville-based Kathryn Crawford.
Mellow Mushroom's groovy vibes extend beyond its artwork. The chain often features live music, trivia competitions, karaoke, or bingo, and each location offers a wide selection of beer, typically 20-40 beers on draft and 50 or more bottled. The company's senior vice president of brand development, Anne Mejia, sums up the Mellow Mushroom experience as "equal parts great pizza and good times." The Disco Peach cocktail, for example, celebrates the music scene of the seventies when the company was founded, and its home state of Georgia, known as the Peach State.
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Frequently asked questions
The first Mellow Mushroom opened in 1974.
The first Mellow Mushroom was located in Atlanta, Georgia, near Georgia Tech's campus on Spring Street.
Mellow Mushroom was founded by three recent college graduates, including Weinstein, Nicholson, and Reeves.
Mellow Mushroom specialises in pizza but also serves calzones, hoagies, salads, appetizers, and a wide selection of beer.
As of 2024, there are more than 160 Mellow Mushroom locations across 17 states in the US.
