Mellow Mushroom will open its first Pennsylvania location in fall 2027, an 8,000-square-foot restaurant at 337 West Chocolate Avenue in downtown Hershey. Hershey Entertainment & Resorts (HE&R) will own and operate the unit, making it a company-run location for the Atlanta-born stone-baked pizza brand rather than a conventional franchise build.

The deal pairs a 170-plus-unit casual pizza brand with one of the country's most recognized hospitality and entertainment operators, and it puts Mellow Mushroom directly into a destination market that draws millions of visitors annually to Hersheypark, the company's resorts and its live entertainment venues.

What will the Hershey location serve?

The menu will follow the brand's core format: hand-tossed, stone-baked pizzas, plus shareable munchies, salads, sandwiches, wraps, smash-style burgers and sweet treats. The venue will run full dine-in, takeout and delivery service, working with popular third-party delivery platforms.

Design-wise, the restaurant will combine Mellow Mushroom's retro-psychedelic aesthetic with localized theming tied to Hershey's chocolate heritage and hometown history — a menu-plus-atmosphere package aimed squarely at the tourist traffic on Chocolate Avenue.

Who owns and operates the unit?

Hershey Entertainment & Resorts controls the location outright. That ownership structure matters for the brand's growth math: HE&R, which runs the town's flagship entertainment and resort assets, brings built-in guest volume rather than relying on a franchisee to generate awareness in a new market.

Jason Heath, Vice President of Resort Operations at Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, framed the project around exclusivity. "We create experiences guests can't find anywhere else, and Mellow Mushroom will be no exception," Heath said. "It will be a Mellow Mushroom that could only exist on Chocolate Avenue. We can't wait to welcome visitors and neighbors for stone-baked pizza, great sandwiches and a few sweet surprises, whether they're spending the day at Hersheypark, staying at our resorts or catching a show."

Why did Mellow Mushroom choose Hershey?

For the pizza brand, the appeal is HE&R's repeat-visit track record in a high-volume destination. Ahsan Jiva, EVP of Strategy at Mellow Mushroom, said the partnership aligns with how the operator builds loyalty.

"Bringing Mellow Mushroom to Hershey feels like a natural fit," Jiva said. "Hershey Entertainment & Resorts knows how to create experiences people come back for, and we're excited they chose Mellow Mushroom for this destination. Together, we'll bring our stone-baked pizza and unmistakable atmosphere to a place that welcomes millions of guests each year."

The fall 2027 opening gives both parties a long runway — roughly two years — to build out the 8,000-square-foot space and integrate the restaurant into Hershey's broader visitor economy.