Emily Johnson
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers is an American pizza chain founded in 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia, by two college students from Georgia Tech, later joined by a third from the University of Georgia. The first Mellow Mushroom restaurant opened on Spring Street in Atlanta, with a concise menu of five pizzas, four hoagies, a chef salad, and beer. The chain now has over 160 locations across the United States, each with its own unique identity, reflecting the brand's laid-back, hippie-inspired vibe.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year founded | 1974 |
| Place founded | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Founders' background | Two of the founders were college students from Georgia Tech, and the third was from the University of Georgia |
| Number of locations | 160+ |
| States with locations | 18 |
| Headquarters | Atlanta |
| Menu | Pizza, calzones, hoagies, salads, appetizers, pretzel bites, beer, cocktails, mocktails, wine |
| Decor | Tie-dye and colorful mushrooms are common themes; some restaurants feature local artwork |
| Activities | Live music, trivia competitions, karaoke, bingo |
| Mascot | Mel O. Mushroom |
| Co-founder | Marc "Banks" Weinstein |
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What You'll Learn
Mellow Mushroom was founded by college students
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers is an American pizza chain founded in 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia. The restaurant was started by two college students from Georgia Tech, who were later joined by a third from the University of Georgia. Together, the three co-founders launched Mellow Mushroom with a concise menu of five pizzas, four hoagies, a chef salad, and beer.
The original Mellow Mushroom on 14th and Spring was tiny, seating 19 people uncomfortably. The founders relied on friends and customers to decorate the stores, often trading pizza for artwork. They embraced a hippie mentality, growing sprouts in the restaurants and using natural cardboard pizza boxes.
The founders' lack of funds meant equipment was purchased second-hand, and none of the furniture matched. They had an entrepreneurial spirit and a motivating following of friends and people in Atlanta who loved their products. Over 12 years, they operated the original six Mellow Mushrooms, but they ran into difficulty staffing as they couldn't be in multiple places at once.
Today, Mellow Mushroom has 160+ locations across 18 states, each with its own personality. The chain is known for its funky, psychedelic interiors, with colourful statues, mushroom clocks, and unique door handles. Each restaurant is locally owned and operated, with a focus on fresh, high-quality ingredients.
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The pizza chain was launched with a concise menu
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers is an American pizza chain specialising in stone-baked pizzas, founded in 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia. The pizza chain was launched with a concise menu of five pizzas, four hoagies, a chef salad, and beer. The menu has since expanded to include calzones, munchies, greens, sweets, and more, with plenty of gluten-free and vegan options. The chain also offers a wide selection of beverages, including beer, wine, and cocktails. Each location is locally owned and operated, with its own unique personality, decor, and artwork, often featuring tie-dye and colourful mushrooms.
The original Mellow Mushroom restaurant was opened by two college students from Georgia Tech, later joined by a third from the University of Georgia. The founders were short on funds, so they relied on friends and customers to help with the decor, often trading pizza for artwork. The menu was designed by one of the founders, while another created the logo, and a mural was painted by a customer. The name "Mellow Mushroom" was coined by one of the founders, Nicholson, and the chain's mascot, Mel O. Mushroom, was created by Atlanta artist Buddy Finethy.
The chain experienced organic growth, expanding to six locations within 12 years, including stores in Buckhead, Midtown, and Sandy Springs. Today, Mellow Mushroom has over 160 locations across 18 states, with plans for further expansion. The brand has recently undergone a rebrand to appeal to a wider audience, including Gen Z, and to update its image for the digital age. This includes a new logo, colour scheme, and website, as well as a new ad campaign: "Welcome to the Mellowverse".
Despite the changes, Mellow Mushroom has retained its focus on sustainability, individuality, and high-quality, fresh ingredients. The chain is known for its funky, psychedelic interiors, with each location featuring unique artwork, decor, and even door handles. The founders' hippie mentality and sustainability efforts are still evident today, with Mellow Mushroom prioritising all-natural meats, preservative-free cheese, and eco-friendly pizza boxes.
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The original Mellow Mushroom was on 14th and Spring
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers is an American pizza chain that was established in 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia. The original Mellow Mushroom was on 14th and Spring in Midtown, Atlanta. The restaurant was opened by two college students from Georgia Tech, who were later joined by a third from the University of Georgia.
The original Mellow Mushroom on 14th and Spring was small, seating only 19 people. The founders described themselves as ""hippies", and the restaurant reflected their eccentric philosophies and "hippie" mentality. They grew sprouts in the restaurant and used natural cardboard pizza boxes to reduce their environmental impact. The original Mellow Mushroom was decorated with artwork from friends and customers, often in exchange for pizza. The restaurant's menu was concise, featuring five pizzas, four hoagies, a chef salad, and beer.
The Mellow Mushroom co-founder, Marc "Banks" Weinstein, has reflected on the original Mellow Mushroom on 14th and Spring and how it grew into the franchise it is today. He attributes the growth of the franchise to organic growth, as he and his partners dropped out of college and seized opportunities to open new locations.
Today, Mellow Mushroom has over 200 locations across 20 states, with each store being locally owned, operated, and decorated differently. The franchise is known for its psychedelic art and fixtures, with colourful statues, mushroom clocks, and unique door handles. Mellow Mushroom restaurants specialize in pizza but also serve calzones, hoagies, salads, appetizers, and a wide selection of beer.
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The founders relied on friends and customers to decorate the stores
The founders of Mellow Mushroom Pizza, brothers Rocky and Buck Haverson, and their friend, Larry Deeb, opened the first Mellow Mushroom in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1974. The trio had a unique and laid-back approach to their business, which reflected the hippie culture of the time. They wanted to create a fun and eclectic environment for their customers and involved the community in the design and decoration of their stores.
The founders encouraged their friends and regular customers to leave their mark on the restaurant. They provided a blank canvas for people to express their creativity and add their personal touches to the space. This resulted in a diverse and eclectic mix of artwork, murals, and decorations that became a defining feature of Mellow Mushroom restaurants. The walls became a showcase for local artists and customers, with the founders relying on this community involvement to create a one-of-a-kind dining experience.
The practice of involving customers and friends in the decoration extended beyond just the artwork. The founders often sourced furniture and unique decor items from their community, creating a quirky and eclectic aesthetic. Each Mellow Mushroom location was designed to have its own distinct personality, with a mix of vintage and modern pieces, all brought together by the local community. This approach not only created a fun and interesting space but also fostered a strong sense of community and involvement.
The involvement of the community in the decoration and design of Mellow Mushroom stores became a key part of the brand's identity. It reflected the founders' desire to create a unique and memorable experience for their customers. By relying on friends and customers to decorate the stores, the founders not only saved on design costs but also cultivated a strong sense of ownership and loyalty within the community. This word-of-mouth marketing and community engagement played a significant role in the success and expansion of Mellow Mushroom Pizza.
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The chain's mascot is Mel O. Mushroom
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers, an American pizza chain, was founded in 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia, by two college students from Georgia Tech, who were later joined by a third from the University of Georgia. The chain's mascot, Mel O. Mushroom, was created by Atlanta artist Buddy Finethy during the early franchising phase. Finethy also designed supporting animated characters for the chain.
Mel O. Mushroom is often depicted as a stoned-looking mushroom, in keeping with the chain's hippie image and philosophy. The original Mellow Mushroom restaurant on 14th and Spring had a hippie mentality, and sustainability has been a focus of the chain since its inception. The chain's restaurants are known for their psychedelic art and decor, including colourful statues, mushroom clocks, and unique door handles.
The Mellow Mushroom menu has expanded since its early days, but sustainability and natural ingredients remain a priority. The chain now offers all-natural meats, preservative-free cheese, and pizza boxes with a negative carbon footprint. The original menu, inspired by Nick DeVito of Chicago, featured five pizzas, four hoagies, a chef salad, and beer.
The Mellow Mushroom brand has also been innovative in its marketing. One early example of this was a Twitter campaign in which the company promised to follow anyone who followed their account. This campaign was featured in the print edition of the New York Times and named one of Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 3 Marketing Masterworks."
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Frequently asked questions
Mellow Mushroom Pizza was founded by two college students from Georgia Tech, who were later joined by a third from the University of Georgia. The founders are Marc "Banks" Weinstein, who is often referred to in sources, and two others whose names I cannot find.
Mellow Mushroom Pizza was founded in 1974.
Mellow Mushroom Pizza was founded in Atlanta, Georgia.
Mellow Mushroom Pizza is known for its "trippy" vibes, high-quality, fresh ingredients, and psychedelic artwork. Each location is individually owned and operated, with its own unique identity. The pizza chain is also known for its funky interiors, with a unifying theme of artwork, often featuring tie-dye and colourful mushrooms.
