After a mere five months open, a branch of the Atlanta-based pizza chain Mellow Mushroom closed abruptly on June 25. The 2326 Henderson Ave. location closed without warning, with managers announcing the closure to a meeting of the staff that morning.
Employees were offered the opportunity to transfer to other locations; the closest location is 30 minutes away. A source who asked not to be identified said that, in recent weeks, vendors such as Ben E. Keith were asking to be paid in cash only.
Mellow Mushroom was founded in 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia; its pizza probably wouldn't be considered the best in town but it offers a wide variety of options including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free.
It's also known for its hippie-esque art, with features such as the VW Bus that is in the Southlake location where customers can dine.
Owners of the Dallas branch were Monte Jensen, Martha Jensen, and Luis Gonzalez, who also owned Mellow Mushrooms in McKinney and Flower Mound. They opened the Henderson Avenue branch in 2016 in the former Hacienda on Henderson space. It was the only location inside Dallas; the other nine Mellow Mushrooms around DFW are located in the suburbs.
A large percentage of the complaints about the restaurant involved valet parking. The adjacent lot was previously attached to the location, but when it became Mellow Mushroom, it turned into a paid lot only.
The owners were not available for comment but a representative from the chain noted that the Henderson Avenue neighborhood had more of a bar vibe than other Mellow Mushroom locations.
Henderson Avenue also has other serious pizza options including a location of Pie Tap Pizza + Workshop and the original Fireside Pies.
