Mellow Mushroom

Genell Pooyouma & Annie DeRemer

Denise Burgess M/W 9am

English 101

2 April 2013

Mellow Mushroom

             Before technology, companies would advertise their products in newspapers using everything they had to capture peoples’ attention such as handing out flyers and putting up posters. The only way restaurants were able to get business was based on peoples’ opinions and now that technology took a turn for the better, people are able to look up websites of different places and see their ratings. But with the ability to make websites, companies are able to add colors and words that will draw in customers. One restaurant, Mellow Mushroom, is a local pizzeria that happens to offer different varieties of pizza, sandwiches, and salads. This restaurant is different from any other restaurant anyone has ever tried. Most importantly, Mellow Mushroom’s website is very effective and easy to navigate, because it is user friendly and the components on the website are extremely helpful to customers.

            The website’s appearance is quite simple once taken directly to the site, because viewers will see all the listings that make up Mellow Mushroom. However, the main object that will capture the viewers’ attention is the title of the site, which is “Mellow Mushroom.” Underneath the title, customers are able to find components such as locations of the restaurant as well as hours of operation, history of the restaurant, and much more. Customers can navigate through the website to easily locate any information that they desire, whether if they are wondering what time the pizzeria opens or even if it is to look at the menu. The information on the website is basically built to be simple so that customers are able to search through everything all at once. All the questions provided on the website are the questions asked most by people which happen to be extremely useful to other viewers who have the same exact questions. Plus, having all the resources for customers such as the hours and locations will really help with the way the restaurant portrays itself.

            Since the website contains history about the business, viewers are able to view the information about Mellow Mushroom if they are interested. This would give the viewers an insight of how Mellow Mushroom came to be. Although, at some point most people do not look at this, others could be interested in the history of the restaurant. This part of the website is also able to provide other details about the restaurant itself. The information is straight to the point; it does not contain information that will confuse customers. Basically, the details on the website are facts that people would be interested in knowing. Most websites have the backgrounds of their restaurants and their history, which is extremely useful to customers who are deciding on a restaurant to eat at.

Not only is the site effective, but also helpful to the customers. The customers are able to select from the various listings to learn more about the place and also join a community where they can receive the latest updates about the restaurant. The site provides these updates using social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and etc. With the help of social media, customers are able to have all the information at their fingertips. If customers are not able to have access to a computer they are able to use their mobile device to see what is going on at the pizzeria. Since Mellow Mushroom is able to provide different varieties of social media, it helps to expand the business and bring in more customers. As technology advances through the years, there may be other ways people can receive updates from this famous pizzeria. Ways to receive updates may include a special app for Smartphones, iPhones, iPods, and so much more. If we look at the world now, everything is high in technology whether if it is the way computers function or something else.

Even with social media available to everyone, Mellow Mushroom is able to include a franchising page that includes details, contact information, and restaurant stories and evaluations. The page attracts customers who have questions or details about the restaurant. There is one source that stands out from the rest which is stories. Stories help the viewers of the site visually see just how great the restaurant is and what their services are like. In other words, people may post their opinions to the site and the viewers can decide whether they want to eat there or not. Having a resource like this is put to good use for viewers, because without having a source such as this, customers may be walking into a restaurant whose services are not so great and not what they were expecting.

            Mellow Mushroom’s website contains graphics which obviously help the restaurant draw in costumers. Their graphics consist of friendly images to inform people of their excellent services towards costumers and also images of their delicious food. I believe this has to be the most important part of the website yet, because without images of the restaurant, people are not going to know what Mellow Mushroom is. Also, the title itself looks like it could have a tendency to make people wonder what Mellow Mushroom is and what is being served there. For instance, looking at the title itself can draw in customers, because people will wonder about the restaurant as they walk by or when the site pops up on their computer screen. The images on the website are also very important, starting with main page, which shows the mushroom holding a pizza, which makes customers curious. The site also sells friendly apparel that can draw in anyone’s attention.

            The website also gives customers, who are big fans of the restaurant, a place to buy souvenirs and apparel. Customers are able to purchase t-shirts, hoodies, and more. This only brings to mind that the company is trying to expand their business and want people to advertise for them by buying their apparel. Mellow Mushroom provides the merchandise site with different designs and interesting colors to gain customers. In doing so, this will influence viewers and bring their attention to the merchandise section and causes them to buy the restaurant’s products. The restaurant’s ability to sell their merchandise will expand their business further in which they will be able to spread their business throughout different cities and states.

            Furthermore, Mellow Mushroom has also provided a place on their website where anyone is able to apply for a job at the restaurant. This catches the eyes of students looking for full-time or part-time jobs. People are able to search for the kind of the job that they are interested in. So it seems like this website is not only a way to promote the restaurant but also a job search for people. Although, the website has a job search box, this does not mean it helps people look for jobs everywhere. The only place where it helps people look for jobs is at the Mellow Mushroom restaurants. This is not only a good idea, but excellent due to the fact that the company is willing to give people an equal chance of applying at Mellow Mushroom.

            Most importantly, the website needs color to grab readers’ and customers’ attention. In that case, Mellow Mushroom uses an interesting color for the background, which happens to be brown. With this in mind, the plain color of the background does not catch the viewer’s attention at first glance. The background color should have been something brighter and more exciting, which could help the title of the restaurant stand out better. Even though the background is combined with dark brown and words associated with Mellow Mushroom, some people may find it interesting and some may not. On every other page of the site, there are different colors being used which are interesting for a viewer every time they click a component. The color of a website has always been an effective factor since it has an effect on the kind of people that the website attracts. For example, a website with the color pink can attract younger girls and the colors can also have an effect such as making people hungry.

            Altogether, the entire website consisted of helpful information and useful sources. Even though there were minimal flaws on the website, it was still effective to customers who enjoy coming to the restaurant. The website could help the restaurant expand their services toward their customers. As time progresses, who knows what surprises Mellow Mushroom holds in store to increase their customer service. The site was absolutely user friendly with the way the setup was designed. In addition, there are many pizza places in different cities, but there is only one where you can buy apparel, eat a large variety of food, make new friends, and be in a fun, relaxing environment, and that place is Mellow Mushroom.