Mellow Mushroom franchise pops up in Germantown

Mellow Mushroom, a fast casual pizza chain featuring an impressive beer selection, is sprouting up in the Memphis market, with an initial Germantown location and up to three more planned in the next five years.

Cary Fairless and Lori Fairless, operating as Jadon Enterprises LLC, signed a long-term, 5,000-square-foot lease at the Shops of Forest Hill, occupying the 17,000-square-foot former Old Navy space at 3075 Village Shops Drive.

The average quoted rate for Germantown shopping center space is $17.90 per square foot, according to CoStar Group, Inc.’s year-end report for 2008.

The couple discovered the concept while going to youth soccer tournaments with their children.

“I thought this would really be good in Memphis because we didn’t really have anything like that,” Cary Fairless says.

Last summer, they started researching the concept and met with the franchisor, Home Grown Industries of Georgia.

“We’ve never done a restaurant, so it was good to know they knew what they were doing,” he says. “That’s why you get a franchise, to get that expertise.”

They are planning a 150-seat restaurant with patio to be open by October. They anticipate a start-up costs in the $900,000 to $1.3 million range. The restaurant, which will employ 15-20 people, will include a full-time manager with restaurant experience.
Wilford says this location will benefit from its proximity to Mike Rose Soccer Complex.

“We think it ties in well with youth sports and Germantown is very youth sports-oriented,” he says.

Retail leasing started slowly this year, Wilford says.

“I’ve noticed in the past month that there has been a lot more activity just with showings we’ve had,” he says. “I’ve been very busy showing property and that’s all over, in Memphis, Germantown and Collierville. It’s not just people looking, it’s people looking to do deals.”
Mellow Mushroom