taken from reddit

[aubiefifty 16,746]

This isn’t necessarily pertaining to Auburn Athletics but for those of you that have been around Auburn in the past decade, the owner of Mellow Mushroom and Tacorita, Greg Bradshaw the passed away last week unexpectedly.

He was an Auburn Rugby Ole’ boy who was always there to support our squad but more importantly he was a staple in the community. Those of you who got a chance to meet and know him, know how great of a dude he was.

Anyway, RIP Bradshaw. May you chute the boot in orange and blue for eternity. War Damn Eagle

 

i assume this to be true and thought some of you folks might know him. i bet golf does since beer goes good with pizza................

 

 

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

Reporting for duty, I'll pick up the slack for @aubiefiftyon this one while he's on hiatus.....

Greg Bradshaw, ‘unforgettable’ figure of Downtown Auburn, dies at 56

• TIM NAIL 
• Oct 20, 2021 Updated Oct 22, 2021

Greg Bradshaw is seen at Mellow Mushroom in Downtown Auburn.  Courtesy Jessica Kohn

Auburn’s business community and long-time residents of the city say they’ve lost a larger-than-life friend and a cornerstone figure in Downtown Auburn after the death of entrepreneur Greg Bradshaw. Business owners said Bradshaw revitalized the downtown area in the 1990’s and was a consistent friendly face to College Street visitors.

Bradshaw died unexpectedly Monday. He was 56.

“He was the kindest person I’ve ever met. He would do anything for anybody at the drop of a dime,” said Adam Nemeroff, who worked closely with Bradshaw. “If he had $20 in his pocket and you needed it, he tried to give you $22.”

As the owner of the Auburn locations of Mellow Mushroom and Tacorita, Bradshaw had a sizable footprint in Auburn commerce. He also opened local favorite bar Bodega in 1997 in the old Bank of Auburn building across from Toomer’s Drugs, which he operated until closing in 2009.

Bradshaw was born in Decatur, Ga., and attended Presbyterian College on a football scholarship, then transferred and graduated from St. Johns College. He taught at Woodward Academy in Atlanta and Brentwood School in Sandersville, Ga., before arriving in Auburn in 1996 with an interest in expanding Atlanta-based pizza franchise Mellow Mushroom. It’s this, business owners say, that was a spark that reimagined the future of downtown.

 

Nemeroff, manager of Mellow Mushroom, met the businessman through their shared interest of rugby and remained a close friend for the past 25 years.

Nemeroff described Bradshaw as a bit of a tour guide, often showing newcomers to Auburn around. He also said Bradshaw was a visionary, introducing Auburn to the concept of the sidewalk restaurant patio now present among several eateries downtown.

Bradshaw was said to brighten the atmosphere of any room he entered, with Downtown Auburn Coordinator Jessica Kohn remembering him preparing breakfast tacos from Tacorita at 6 a.m. to bring to Downtown Auburn Merchants Association meetings at 8 a.m. She said he was “unforgettable” and passionate about downtown.

 

He often made people laugh and built a wealth of connections around the city and beyond. Bizilia’s Café owner Mark Arrington said he recalls chatting with Bradshaw about six weeks after Arrington purchased the restaurant about seven years ago, with the late entrepreneur jokingly asking if Arrington was “ready to sell yet.” Bradshaw was a face of encouragement to all business owners new and old alike, according to those like Big Blue Bagel owner and founder John Deason.  

 

“We’ll probably have a sandwich named after him here pretty soon,” Deason said.

Many knew Bradshaw for his generosity, often purchasing coffee and baked goods for patrons at Coffee Cat, Chloe Covin of Livewell Juice Company said. Covin said folks often referred to Bradshaw as “the unofficial mayor of Downtown Auburn.”

Edited October 28, 2021 by PowerOfDixieland