Mellow Mushroom facts for kids
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Mellow Mushroom in Hiram, Georgia
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| Industry | Restaurant franchise |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Founders | Rocky Reeves Mike Nicholson |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
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Number of locations
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170 (2021) |
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Key people
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Marc Weinstein, Richard Brasch, Rocky Reeves, Mike Nicholson |
| Products | Stone-Baked Pizza, Craft Cocktails, Burgers, Salads, Calzones, Hoagies & Sandwiches, Craft and local Beer |
| Revenue | US$419 million (2022) |
| Owner | Home Grown Industries, Inc. |
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Number of employees
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6,216 employees (2022) |
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers is a popular American pizza restaurant. It started in 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia, as just one pizza place. Today, it operates as a franchise business. This means different people own and run each restaurant, but they all follow the same brand rules. Mellow Mushroom has 170 locations across the United States. Its main office is still in Atlanta.
Contents
What's on the Menu at Mellow Mushroom?
Mellow Mushroom restaurants are famous for their delicious pizza. But they also serve many other tasty items. You can find calzones, which are like folded pizzas, and hoagies (long sandwiches). They also offer fresh salads and appetizers like pretzel bites.
Drinks and Atmosphere
Many Mellow Mushroom locations have a huge selection of beer. They often have 20 to 40 different beers on tap. They also have 50 or more bottled beers. Each restaurant is owned and run by local people. This means every Mellow Mushroom has its own unique look and feel.
Unique Decorations
The restaurants are known for their colorful and creative decorations. You might see tie-dye patterns and bright mushrooms. These are common themes that make each place special. Some locations even have live music, trivia games, karaoke, or bingo nights. It's a fun place to hang out with friends and family!
The Story of Mellow Mushroom
Mellow Mushroom first opened its doors in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1974. It was started by two college students from Georgia Tech. A third student from the University of Georgia later joined them. They wanted to create a business that showed off their unique ideas. The very first restaurant was on Spring Street in Atlanta.
How it Grew
In the late 1980s, Mellow Mushroom began to grow. An employee opened the first franchise location. After that, customers started opening their own Mellow Mushroom restaurants. Then, friends of employees and customers also opened franchises. Each franchise is locally owned. This helps each restaurant keep its special, unique vibe.
Expanding Across States
The first Mellow Mushroom outside of Atlanta opened in Athens, Georgia. This city is home to the University of Georgia. Today, there are many locations in Atlanta and other parts of Georgia. Around the year 2000, Mellow Mushroom started expanding even more. They opened restaurants in big cities like Jacksonville, Florida, and Denver, Colorado. Now, there are over 200 Mellow Mushroom locations in 20 different states!
The Mellow Mushroom Logo
The look of Mellow Mushroom Pizza was created early on. This happened when they first started opening franchises. An artist from Atlanta named Buddy Finethy helped with this. He designed and improved the chain's mascot, Mel O. Mushroom. He also created other fun, animated characters. These characters helped people recognize the Mellow Mushroom brand.
See also
