News

Mellow Mushroom marks two new openings

February 25, 2013

Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers is set to open in Historic Downtown Decatur, Ala., on March 4.

The new location is owned by husband-and-wife team Mark and Diane Holman.

"Downtown Decatur has a great vibe, and Mellow Mushroom will be the perfect addition to this area. Mellow will be a great asset to the daytime business traffic, family community and the night scene," Mark Holman said.

The menu features a variety of handcrafted pizzas, hoagies, salads, calzones and appetizers, options for vegetarians, vegans and kids, and gluten-free items.

Its location on the Tennessee River has inspired the restaurant's design, which includes:

• One large piece of original art, inspired by the Grateful Dead album, "Blues for Allah," has fiber optic lights embedded throughout, and is flanked on either side by giant lava lamps in niches. This mural sits on a brick wall, made from reclaimed bricks from historic buildings, which were once a part of the community;
• Mellow characters Mel and Dude are presented above the open kitchen, where they look down toward the Hudson Memorial Bridge; and
• A boat chandelier features an amalgam of vintage lights, crushed glass globes and disco balls suspended to create a warm glow.

The Decatur Mellow also features a seasonal covered/heated patio, a full-service bar with craft beers, wines and cocktails, live music once a week and more events.

Also on March 4, Mellow Mushroom will open in Historic Downtown Chapel Hill, N.C.

"Originally, we had great plans for the Chapel Hill location that was open several years ago. Chapel Hill was the reason we moved from Alabama to North Carolina. Slightly premature in planning and with the economy, unfortunately we had to make the tough decision to shut it down," said owner Kent Hodges. "Since then, we have opened stores in the Raleigh, Durham and Wake Forest markets. These locations have proven great success with the Mellow brand, and when we started getting calls from local landlords in the Chapel Hill market, we knew it was the perfect sign."

Designed by Amy Senn, "Flashback" is the theme for the Chapel Hill store. This location will feature the largest mural in the Mellow collection, with an emphasis on the commonalities between the past and the present, with imagery drawn from UNC college yearbooks and psychedelic posters. It also includes a full-sized VW bus that is now a booth with plenty of community seating, a hostess stand built from old repurposed street signs and pieces of art that were restored from the original location in Chapel Hill.

It also includes live bluegrass music every Tuesday night, two full-service bars with craft beers, wine and liquor, a members-only Beer Club and multiple TVs for sports viewing.

Read more about franchising and growth.