Courtesy of Mellow Mushroom
In 1974, three college-age guys—Marc “Banks” Weinstein, Rocky Reeves, and Mike Nicholson—opened a counter-service pizza shop with psychedelic vibes in Midtown Atlanta. Over the next 50 years, Mellow Mushroom evolved into a full-service restaurant with more than 160 locations around the country. The brand is now returning to its roots in a way with a new prototype store in Grant Park that focuses on counter service. Now open at the Boulevard at Grant Park along the Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside Trail, the new Mellow Mushroom offers kiosk ordering, mobile payments, and unique menu items, such as “panizzi”—hot sandwiches made with pizza dough.
“Our dough is our bedrock,” says Executive Vice President of Marketing Elizabeth Brasch. “We take an extra-small dough ball and run it through the pizza oven. It’s the perfect marriage of a sandwich and a pizza and can be eaten on the go.”
Courtesy of Mellow Mushroom
The 3,400-square-foot space features a smaller footprint than most Mellow Mushroom locations. However, since it resides along the BeltLine, it does include a 50-seat patio. With an oversized purple faux mushroom hanging over the bar and two funky murals covering the walls, it maintains the ’70s style the chain is known for. At the same time, it introduces modern conveniences, including self-service ordering and tap-to-pay.
“Dining inside a restaurant is becoming less important for many guests,” says Ahsan Jiva, executive vice president of strategy and transformation. “We wanted a faster, seamless option for guests.” Though there aren’t servers, food runners (directed by RFID technology) deliver food and drinks to in-restaurant patrons.
Courtesy of Mellow Mushroom
Mellow Mushroom aficionados will notice several differences on the menu. Hoagies have been swapped for the aforementioned panizzi—think chicken pesto or steak with spicy pickled peppers and garlic ricotta—and new pizzas have been added. These pies include Cosmic Cheese (classic cheese with a pesto and vodka sauce swirl), House Party (Italian sausage, bacon, ham, pepperoni, bell peppers, onions, olives, mushrooms), and Fajita Steak (ribeye, mozzarella, onions, pickled jalapenos, pico de gallo, chives, bell peppers, and chipotle aioli).
Other new options include Magic Meatballs (chicken and beef varieties with three sauces) and Apple Monkey Bombs for dessert (dough bites with apple compote, caramel icing, and cinnamon sprinkles). The bar offers new drinks, including the Java Lamp (Tito’s, cappuccino, and chocolate syrup) and a Orange Tango mocktail (Monin orange syrup, simple syrup, orange juice, lemon juice, water, and cold foam cream).
Additional changes, though invisible to the customer, improve the back-of-house experience. These include implementing digital display systems in the kitchen and using automatic data and analytics to predict ordering and preparation needs, in turn reducing waste.
“We have a long and storied history as a brand,” Brasch says. “Right now, we’re coupling efficiency with preserving and uplifting the vibe and soul of the brand.”
Courtesy of Mellow Mushroom
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