The Beloved Eccentric '70s Pizza Chain You Didn't Know Started In Atlanta

Visiting a Mellow Mushroom is unlike any other pizza dining experience. There are no homages to New York or carefully curated Italian theming. Instead, you find an eclectic array of groovy decor, complete with tons of tie dye, psychedelic art, and, of course, mushrooms galore. The chain isn't as big as, say, Pizza Hut (a nostalgic chain we think really ought to make a come back), Domino's, or the gas station-based Hunt Brothers Pizza, but it does boast 163 locations across 15 states as of 2025. That's certainly nothing to sneeze at. Plus, its stone-baked, ever-so-slightly sweet pizza dough gives this chain a distinct take on pizza that makes it really stand out from the rest.

By aesthetics alone, one might assume such an eatery came by way of Vermont, or perhaps Woodstock, New York — especially given the early, funny-looking, cigarette-in-hand depictions of the chain's mascot, Mel O. Mushroom. However, you would be mistaken. The well-regarded pizza chain actually got its start in the heart of the South: Atlanta. First opened in 1974 near the Georgia Tech campus, it was founded by a University of Georgia alum and two Georgia Tech students hoping to bring good pizza and a hippy ethos to Midtown Atlanta. Mellow Mushroom has since grown into a well-loved pizza chain, known not just for its pies, but for the familiar, kitsch-leaning atmosphere that makes every location feel like the one and only.

For many, Atlanta may not seem the most obvious spot for a hippy-themed pizza joint to prosper. It wasn't until recently that Atlanta could even really call itself a pizza city, though there are now plenty of Atlanta pie spots worth a slice. These days, the city is better known for its sleek, high-end dining, hip-hop bonafides, and film and television projects. However, Mellow Mushroom's success comes as no shock for those well-versed in Atlanta's history. After all, the city had a thriving hippie population in the 1960s and '70s (at least for the South), and a growing alternative scene.

So, how did Mellow Mushroom get its start? It all begins with Marc "Banks" Weinstein. The UGA business school alum had planned to go into real estate, but was dissuaded from entering the business due to an economic downturn. He decided to use his experience working in pizza restaurants to open his own shop in Sandy Springs, but soon after paired up with Mike Nicholson and Rocky Reeves, Georgia Tech students working on their own Midtown location. The pies were, and still are, stone-baked with dough that is pillowy and ever-so-slightly sweet. Soon, the pizza place became a local chain, with locations across the Atlanta metro area. The chain has since switched to a franchising business format.

Mellow Mushroom isn't just another pizza spot for locals. It's an absolute staple. The feel of Mellow Mushrooms were, until the 2020s, much more hodgepodge. Each location was unique in its interior and exterior decor, but still felt like a small town pizza joint, complete with old-school music, shabby tables, and artistic touches, such as mosaic mushroom sculptures peppered at the front of restaurant locations. 

However, the pizza chain has taken on a brighter, more cohesive aesthetic in recent years. This shift comes thanks to an intensive rebrand undertaken in 2023. The chain's logo, website, and storefronts all got a glossy, modern new look. The rebrand also brought additional emphasis on online orders, which have since become a major revenue stream for the chain. Rather than offering an eclectic image, with locations varying in psychedelic funkiness, the new vision for the chain focused on cohesive branding, but kept many of the chain's original, funky elements. Still, for many Atlantans, nothing comes close to the old-school Mellow Mushrooms of yore. But, like the city of Atlanta itself, Mellow Mushroom has its eyes on the future.