10,000 pizzas a month: Cape Coral's Mellow Mushroom gets opening date
Power tools whir. Construction equipment beeps. And everywhere you look, workers are busy painting walls, putting down floors and getting Cape Coral's first Mellow Mushroom ready for its big day.
"We're excited," says owner Chris Scuderi, who also owns the neighboring Gator Mike's Family Fun Park. "This has been a long time coming."
The quirky pizza restaurant finally has a grand opening date: June 3. And Scuderi expects his Mellow Mushroom to do blockbuster business in the Cape: Roughly 200,000 guests a year.
"We estimate we’re gonna crank out probably north of 10,000 pizzas a month," he says. "It's a lot. … We're gonna be super-duper busy."
Cape Coral lands Southwest Florida's third Mellow Mushroom
Construction started on the Pine Island Road restaurant in October. It's next door to Gator Mike's, a family fun park.
The Cape restaurant will be the third Mellow Mushroom in Southwest Florida. The Atlanta-based Mellow Mushroom chain has more than 170 locations throughout the U.S., including Estero and south Fort Myers.
The popular chain is known for its fun vibe, funky pizzas and hippie-inspired décor. Scuderi thinks it’ll fit well with his various attractions at neighboring Gator Mike’s, including Dinosaur Falls Mini Golf, a ropes course and the annual Frightmare on 78 haunted walk.
He says he’s thrilled to see the restaurant finally nearing the finish line after more than two years of delays cause by permitting, Hurricane Ian and more. "I'm just so happy that we're finally here."
He announced the approximately $6 million project in 2021 and had hoped to open it by summer 2022. The project was initially set to cost $4 million, but Scuderi says construction costs have gone up since then.
More about Cape Coral's new Mellow Mushroom
The approximately 5,800-square-foot restaurant will have 186 seats ― 60 outside and 126 inside. Scuderi plans to start with about 125 employees, but that should eventually settle down to about 50-55. Prospective employees can submit applications on Mellow Mushroom's website.
Like all Mellow Mushrooms, the Cape Coral restaurant will have its own unique character. That includes historical Cape photos on the walls, murals and metal, owl-shaped door handles (a nod to Cape Coral's popular burrowing owls).
"Each Mellow Mushroom is unique," Scuderi says. "They're all about experience."
The restaurant's employees will start training May 25, Scuderi says. They'll be led by general manager Steve Tyner, formerly of Estero's California Pizza Kitchen.
Learn more about Mellow Mushroom at mellowmushroom.com.
— Charles Runnells is an arts and entertainment reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 (for tickets to shows, call the venue) or email him at [email protected]. Follow or message him on social media: Facebook (facebook.com/charles.runnells.7), X (formerly Twitter) (@charlesrunnells), Threads (@crunnells1) and Instagram (@crunnells1).
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cape Coral's Mellow Mushroom: When it's opening, what to expect
