{"id":31855,"date":"2025-11-03T21:40:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T21:40:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/31855\/"},"modified":"2025-11-03T21:40:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T21:40:08","slug":"mellow-mushroom-to-increase-its-central-florida-locations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/31855\/","title":{"rendered":"Mellow Mushroom to increase its Central Florida locations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mellow Mushroom<\/a>, the psychedelic pizza chain known for its imaginative pizzas, festive atmosphere and wide beer selection, aims to grow its presence around Central Florida, and it\u2019s looking for franchisees to help make that happen. It\u2019s touting the success of its current locations and its potential as an investment opportunity.<\/p>\n

The chain currently has five restaurants in the greater Orlando area \u2013 one on International Drive just east of SeaWorld and another one near the University of Central Florida, as well as locations in Winter Park, Sanford and Mount Dora.<\/p>\n

It has about a dozen locations scattered around the region it calls Central Florida, which includes Orlando but also stretches from Tampa Bay to the Space Coast.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn that Central Florida area, we have more in the pipeline,\u201d said Ahsan Jiva, the chain\u2019s executive VP of strategy and transformation. \u201cI can see a pathway to getting at least three to seven, potentially 10 more locations from Clearwater all the way to the East Coast. I can definitely see a pathway to get to 20.\u201d<\/p>\n

In metro Orlando, it\u2019s looking at possibly locating restaurants at Disney Springs as well as in Lake Nona and Clermont. Also, \u201cI see opportunity in St. Cloud, the Kissimmee area, DeLand, and then The Villages,\u201d Jiva said.<\/p>\n

\"WidelyWidely known as the originator of hand-tossed, stone-baked, one-of-a-kind pizza, the main menu \u2013 anchored by its coveted \u201csecret dough\u201d recipe \u2013 boasts cult-favorite pizzas, wings, salads and subs. (Courtesy of Mellow Mushroom)<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the company\u2019s timeline for local expansion?<\/p>\n

\u201cFinding sites, building locations, it\u2019s not something that happens overnight. We want to do it within six to eight months, and that\u2019ll depend on whether it\u2019s a land deal or if it\u2019s an already existing shell building that we\u2019re just finishing out and putting Mellow in,\u201d Jiva said. \u201cWe have a five- to seven-year growth plan. We want to be methodical. One to two locations per year for the next five to seven years is definitely something that we can achieve pretty easily.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mellow Mushroom is looking at partnering with its existing franchisees in the region \u201cand also looking to find similar-minded folks that want to grow with us and have a great investment opportunity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The chain is touting its restaurants\u2019 AUVs \u2013 average unit volume, which is the average annual sales generated by each location. It\u2019s a key metric for evaluating a restaurant\u2019s performance and its potential for franchisees.<\/p>\n

Jiva said a typical counter-service pizza place like a Domino\u2019s<\/a> \u2013 America\u2019s largest pizza chain \u2013 would likely have an AUV of $1 million, while \u201con an average basis, we\u2019re closer to $2.7 million. In certain markets like Central Florida it\u2019s closer to $3 million, and our top quartile is almost $4 million a year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Founded in Atlanta in 1974, Mellow Mushroom marked its 50th anniversary last year. Today it has 165 locations across the U.S., mostly in the Southeast.<\/p>\n

While nearly all of them are full-service sit-down restaurants, last year the chain introduced a new concept \u2013 what it calls a \u201cfast-fine\u201d model, a smaller location that features counter service and digital kiosks where customers can place their orders. It requires about half as many employees.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow we have the capability of going into bigger markets with bigger footprints, but also in smaller markets with smaller footprints,\u201d Jiva said. \u201cNow we have two formats that we can go to market with \u2013 one with a smaller box, easier to operate, less people, a little less AUVs, but still well above the industry standard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at\u00a0Newsroom@GrowthSpotter.com<\/a>\u00a0or (407) 420-6261. Follow GrowthSpotter on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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