Mellow Mushroom

As part of my GCY application, I had to observe a public area for 30 minutes.
I chose the Mellow Mushroom in Asheville.


Mellow Mushroom: Feed Your Head. Defining the restaurant’s ambiance, I began pointing out simple details: the vines draping over the building, the bathtubs used as flower pots, a plastic pig and disco ball suspended from the ceiling, and countless mushroom artifacts blending into the red-brick building. I was greeted by a woman with fiery red hair, her sweet disposition contrasting with her military boots. Sporting just a pair of jeans and a tee, I was consumed by dreadlocks and wild apparel of not only some employees, but many customers who crossed my path. People were dispersed around the joint sitting inside and out. Stuck between a Texaco gas pump and a bench shaped like a mushroom, I read the thermostat. It was 68 degrees inside. The waitress asked me what I would like to drink and I requested some water. I kept looking around, watching others stare back while I typed away on the computer. I ordered a caesar pizza, glanced back over my shoulder and watched the employees toss pizza pies in the air. I still remember my first visit last year, my friends and I keenly aware of our awkward presence. We knew we were entering a different world that wasn’t defined by it’s pies but it’s own presence, embracing the individuality of others and promoting a greater diversity and unity within the walls of the restaurant, making the moment representative of everything life has to offer. If only we all had our own mellow mushroom!