Mellow Mushroom talks loyalty, counter service and tech on Hospitality Hangout

Branded Hospitality Media released a new Hospitality Hangout episode with Mellow Mushroom EVP Ahsan Jiva, recorded at QSR Evolution in Atlanta. The conversation focuses on how the 50-plus-year-old pizza brand is modernizing service, rewards and kitchen operations without losing its distinct identity.

Why it matters: - Mellow Mushroom is trying to modernize guest service and operations while protecting the brand personality that has helped it stand out for more than five decades. - The episode offers a look at how a legacy restaurant brand balances loyalty programs, technology and service changes without becoming a commodity. - Operators, investors and suppliers can use the discussion as a window into how multi-unit brands weigh innovation against guest experience.

What happened: - Branded Hospitality Media released a new episode of The Hospitality Hangout podcast, presented by PizzaCloud. - The episode is titled “Mellow Mushroom Refuses to Be Just Another Pizza Chain.” - Guest Ahsan Jiva is executive vice president of strategy and transformation at Mellow Mushroom. - Hosts Michael Schatzberg and Jimmy Frischling recorded the episode with Jiva on location at QSR Evolution in Atlanta. - The episode is available now at thehospitalityhangout.com and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio and Pocket Casts.

The details: - Mellow Mushroom is bringing back counter service, which the episode frames as a shift in how guests order and how staff operate. - The brand is planning Mellow Mushroom Rewards, a loyalty program aimed at deepening repeat visits. - Kitchen technology is part of the strategy, including tools that help teams provide more accurate wait times. - Mellow Mushroom uses art, merchandise and local personality to make each location feel different. - The brand is avoiding shared ghost kitchens because they do not fit the guest experience Mellow Mushroom wants to deliver. - Jiva discussed his path from consulting into restaurants, a path that began with pizza nights while he was a student at Auburn. - The episode also included a tasting of Mellow Rollz, a debate about pineapple on pizza, and Jiva’s go-to order, the Holy Shiitake with steak.

Between the lines: - The conversation reflects a broader restaurant-industry challenge: adding technology and loyalty tools without flattening the brand experience. - Counter service, tighter wait-time communication and a loyalty launch suggest Mellow Mushroom is sharpening convenience and retention at the same time. - The refusal to lean on shared ghost kitchens signals that Mellow Mushroom still sees atmosphere and in-person brand cues as core to the business model.

What's next: - Mellow Mushroom’s planned rewards program and service changes point to more operational updates ahead. - The episode is positioned as an ongoing resource for restaurant leaders following restaurant tech, service design and brand strategy. - Branded Hospitality Media says the episode is part of its broader podcasting, newsletter, event and digital content work through Branded Hospitality Media.