Mellow Mushroom
The Mellow Mushroom is a small restaurant franchise based in Atlanta, Georgia, with 46 restaurants operating in Louisiana, Michigan, Indiana, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The Mellow Mushroom's specialty is pizza, and other pizza parlor fare, such as sub sandwiches, calzones, and salads. A large selection of tap beer is also a feature. The restaurants are known for their easygoing atmosphere and psychedelic-like decor. These are complemented by the occasional live bands that are invited to play in the evenings. Mellow Mushrooms are typically located in college towns, as they are popular with college students. Some number of them are located in other areas.
The Mellow Mushroom seeks to project itself as a healthier, more natural alternative to other pizza chains. For instance, they state that they use spring water to make the dough used in their pizza.
The website was designed by Atlantans Mike and Matt Chapman, creators of Homestar Runner.
Characters
"Mel" and "Dude" are two characters often featured on Mellow Mushroom menus, table tee-pees, and calendars. They inhabit the imaginary town of Shroomville. Mel O. Mushroom lives at 420 Shroom Street and is responsible for a farm where the primary output is produce for the Mellow Mushroom restaurant. Dude assists in the operations of the same farm. "Melody" is another character that inhabits the imaginary town of Shroomville. She is employed by the Mellow Mushroom restaurant. A recurring theme throughout Mellow Mushroom literature is the easy going attitude of Mel, the bumbling antics of Dude, and a romantic sub-plot between Dude and Melody.