Mellow Mushroom blooms again

Reopened eatery undergoes full indoor makeover with new art.

After news broke that the Mellow Mushroom on 11 W. Liberty St. was shutting its doors permanently in 2020, Savannah residents fond of the staple pizza chain expressed their sadness on social media. For many, it was the go-to pizza spot and a local favorite.

But in March, there were reports Mushroom would soon be blooming again, and on Nov. 22, right in time for the holidays, the stonebaked pizzas made a comeback.

General Manager Anthony Sevigny said the response to the reopening has been great.

“The community has been pretty excited about us opening up. They’ve been asking and waiting patiently for us, and we’re finally open again,” Sevigny said.

Sevigny said the initial decision to close down the restaurant was made by the previous owners, but he couldn’t comment past that.

In September, the Mellow Mushroom Savannah Facebook account announced plans to reopen in fall with John and Kim Boyce at the helm of their third location; the husband and wife are longtime owners of the Mellow Mushroom locations in Bluffton and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

New owners aren’t the only thing that’s changed. Mellow Mushroom has undergone a full indoor makeover with new artwork and a renewed focus on keeping everything local, including the beer, liquor and sports on the TVS.

Its location puts it just a few minutes from Savannah College of Art and Design, bringing back a popular hangout for students and a parttime job opportunity. Sevigny said they’ve been “lucky” in the hiring process and that most employees are SCAD students and locals.

“We take a lot of pride in what we do here because, especially myself and my other managers, we’ve put a lot of time and effort into hiring people and getting this place open.”