Mello’s path to Amesbury Road was shaped as much by the building as by the approval process. WHAV reported that the property was built as a restaurant in 1982, while The Eagle-Tribune identified it as the former Seafood Etc. restaurant. When Haverhill’s City Council considered Mellow Fellows’ special permit in August 2019, WHAV said neighbors made traffic their leading concern; one councilor voted against the permit and another abstained because he was then the landlord. By October 2021, WHAV reported that construction had been completed and a state inspection had taken place on September 21, 2021. It is an origin story grounded in an adapted restaurant property and close neighborhood scrutiny.