news-record.com

GREENSBORO - Fans of Mellow Mushroom will no longer have to drive from Greensboro to Winston-Salem to get a slice of pizza.

Mellow Mushroom opens at 609 S. Elm St. in downtown Greensboro at 11 a.m. today.

Jim and Cindy Waters, owners of the Winston-Salem franchise, opened the new location in the former TwoArtChicks space.

The new restaurant, with its large space and vaulted ceiling, inspired Waters to go with a cathedral theme featuring an array of vintage chandeliers, plush booths and faux buttresses of steel mesh. The highlight of the restaurant is the warehouse-sized custom stained-glass windows overlooking the dining room.

"I thought it was the perfect place," Waters said. "We like being a part of the art community."

The building is in a segment of Old Greensboro that is home to art galleries, antique shops and boutiques.

The restaurant offers 32 draft beers and gourmet pizzas range from $8.85 for a small Hawaiian to $23.25 for a large Mega Veggie.

"We've always appreciated being in a bohemian location," Waters he said. "A place where people are willing to go across the tracks to get to it."

Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday.