Another 16th Street Mall Closure: Mellow Mushroom Is Out After Fifteen Years

Fifteen years ago, Atlanta-based pizza chain Mellow Mushroom moved into the ground floor of the Tabor Center at 16th and Lawrence.

It's been a staple on the 16th Street Mall ever since, catering to tourists and locals alike. "It was our go-to," says a friend who lives nearby who is mourning the loss. "Fluffy, perfect crust." But now, the sign outside is gone and there are no pizzas coming out of the kitchen.

Mellow Mushroom, known for its trippy branding, was founded by three friends in 1974 and the first franchise debuted in the '80s. In 2009, a group of franchisees bought the franchise rights for all of Colorado and opened the first location in the state at the Streets of Southglenn in Centennial. "Our long-term plan is to open fifteen locations throughout Colorado over the next several years," one of the original co-owners, Morris Purcel, told Westword at the time.

But at its peak, Mellow Mushroom grew to just three Colorado outposts, with a third in Lone Tree — but by 2018, the downtown restaurant was the last remaining.

According to BusinessDen, Purcel said that "the [franchisee] group sold the stores back to Home Grown Industries of Georgia, Mellow Mushroom’s franchisor, in 2018."

Now, Mellow Mushroom fans will have to find a replacement fix.

It's the latest restaurant loss on the 16th Street Mall, which is set to celebrate its reopening this summer — though construction won't actually be complete by then.

Last year, the Panera Bread at 16th and Market shuttered. Locally-owned spots have been struggling as well; since last August, restaurateur Lon Symensma shuttered Bisto LeRoux and its next-door neighbor YumCha. Eat'Ya Pizza also closed in February after less than a year in business.

So far, all of those spaces remain vacant, unlike other recently closed restaurants that have been quick to find new tenants — like Osaka Ramen in RiNo, which is net to become new American eatery Bear Leek this summer.

While Mellow Mushroom was a chain beloved by some, we're hoping to see some local owners move into the 16th Street Mall as it enters its next era.