Mellow Mushroom to open 100th store

Mellow Mushroom, an Atlanta-based pizza chain, said it will open its 100th store next week, an outlet in Covington, La.

The first Mellow Mushroom opened in 1974 near Georgia Tech. The original store was later razed to make way for Midtown skyscrapers, but the Mellow Mushroom chain continued to spread. It now has locations in 14 states.

“We opened the first Mellow Mushroom as a funky joint for our friends to hang out and eat good food,” Mellow Mushroom founder Marc Weinstein said in a press release to mark the 100th store. “Never in our wildest dreams could we have imagined the growth we have experienced and the loyal following we have created.”