Mellow Mushroom in Decatur abruptly closes
Atlanta-based pizza chain Mellow Mushroom has closed its Decatur location after nine years of operation.
This is Mellow Mushroom’s second time closing in Decatur.
The original Decatur location opened in the Commerce Square shopping center in the late 1990s, but closed suddenly in May 2014. Two years later, it reopened at 340 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. under new ownership.
Co-owner Harvey Brown announced the restaurant’s closure Monday on social media and confirmed the closure Tuesday morning in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Brown, who has operated the Decatur location since 2016, cited financial challenges as the reason for the closure. “Competition has popped up a little more over the years and we just couldn’t make the numbers work,” he said.
Brown said that the approximately 50 person staff was informed of the decision yesterday and that he “reached out to a couple of friends at other Mellow Mushrooms and tried to source some employment for them.”
Brown speculated that the space could reopen as a Mellow Mushroom, albeit operated by a different franchisee. “They love this market,” he said, referring to the pizza restaurant chain’s franchisor Home Grown Industries of Georgia, more commonly referred to as HDI. “I’m sure someone would love to fill the void.”
“Decatur definitely deserves a Mellow Mushroom,” he added.
Mellow Mushroom was founded by three Georgia Tech students in 1974. The ’70s-themed, psychedelic pizza shop has expanded to more than 160 locations nationwide, but it remains headquartered in Atlanta.
It serves a menu of pizzas, munchies, sweets and cocktails.
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About the Authors
Olivia Wakim is a digital content producer on the food and dining team. She joined the AJC as an intern in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia with a journalism degree. While in school, she reported for The Red & Black, Grady Newsource and the Marietta Daily Journal.
Ligaya Figueras is the AJC's senior editor for Food & Dining. Prior to joining the AJC in 2015, she was the executive editor for St. Louis-based culinary magazine Sauce. She has worked in the publishing industry since 1999 and holds degrees from St. Louis University and the University of Michigan.
