The iconic Happy Joe’s pizza and ice cream restaurant chain, which was launched in 1972 in Iowa, celebrated its 50th anniversary in November and continues to add locations and franchises throughout the country. Built on the novel concept of serving two of America’s favorite foods – pizza and ice cream – in a family-friendly and festive environment, the company has won many awards and recently broke its sales and revenue records with double-digit growth over 2020 and 2021.
Led by visionary CEO and Chief Happiness Officer Tom Sacco, the franchise recently underwent a digital transformation that saw a new loyalty program, brand engagement tools, and a revamped ordering and delivery system rolled out. These new initiatives have helped Happy Joe’s bring its iconic pizza menu to new and existing guests in markets across the country. From longstanding markets in the Midwest to new markets in the Florida Panhandle and overseas in Egypt, Happy Joe’s and the idea of themed celebrations and gourmet offerings continue to resonate with guests and food lovers around the world.
As part of the company’s 50th-anniversary celebrations, guests had the opportunity to win a car and participate in many new events and activities. However, the festivities didn’t end there. Customers can count on enjoying discounts on popular menu items, complementary Little Joe pizzas for veterans and enlisted military personnel on Veterans Day, as well as themed pizzas and pasta on Halloween, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and in October for Oktoberfest, which came with Bavarian-themed pretzels, beer-cheese pizzas, and more. All of these offerings are up for grabs at different times of the year and are designed to strengthen the company’s brand image and personal connection with guests during important life events, holidays, and annual celebrations.
Even for those unable to visit a brick-and-mortar location during the holidays or at specific times during the year, guests can order their favorite pizza from the chain exclusively via Goldbelly, the nationwide delivery service that can deliver to anyone anywhere in the continental United States.
This would not have been possible just a few years ago. However, with the company’s recent tech investments, it continues to build relationships with customers while simultaneously growing its sales numbers. According to Tom Sacco, the company’s recent investments were all an important part of creating ‘Happy Places’ for guests. Tom Sacco said: “All of the branding and technological advancements we have undertaken during 2021 and 2022 were a necessary part of setting Happy Joe’s development and rapid growth up for success. We are well-positioned in our quest to be “Best-in-Class” as we broaden our reach, building ‘Happy Places’ domestically and internationally. Our hard-working franchisees and our corporate team members appreciate the passion that has been brought back to the brand in this next phase of our expansion.”
Supporting Veterans in More Ways than One
Happy Joe’s commitment to veterans goes beyond discounts, on-site celebrations, and seamless ordering for people across the country. As part of a new initiative built to spread more joy in more communities, the company continues with its National Veterans Incentive Program, in which veterans are encouraged to own and operate a franchise via a $10,000 discount off their franchise fee once their military service is completed.
“We are truly grateful for the service the brave men and women of the military have given to defend our freedom,” Tom Sacco said. “Veterans make incredible franchisees due to their passion for serving both their communities and employees. That’s why we’re proud to offer these initiatives and hope other veterans choose to become part of the Happy Joe’s family.”
In addition to the franchise discount, support is provided to veterans by standardizing accessibility – helping them find and secure the ideal location and helping them with the design and layout of their restaurant. The team also helps them develop and design furnishing plans and provides on-site training for operations and management.
This commitment and focus on helping veterans have already helped two new veteran-owned franchises get on the fast track to opening. One is for a Happy Joe’s that is planned for opening in St. Louis within about a year, and the other is for multiple locations in Navarre, Florida, in the spring.
One of the new to-be franchisees said: “The Happy Joe’s team has been incredibly helpful through this entire process, and the incentives made it easier to get started. Their commitment to the community is what drew us to this opportunity. It made a huge difference.” The other said: “The significant discount on the franchise fee for my veteran status (which is 33% of the total) greatly helped us get started. It showed us that Happy Joe’s is more than willing to give veterans a helping hand with starting a new business and guiding them through the start-up process.”
New Donations from the Happy Joe’s Kids Foundation
In honor of Happy Joe’s 50th anniversary, the company has partnered with the Happy Joe’s Kids Foundation to help meet the needs of families with children with disabilities. The Happy Joe’s Kids Foundation is a nonprofit launched by the brand’s founding family and is donating a total of $50,000 (50 donations of $1,000 each) to families that have children with disabilities. The donations will be given to families in the communities served by Happy Joe’s franchises and restaurants. These donations can be used by the recipient families to offset medical expenses, meet mobility needs, and support the educational and therapy needs of their disabled children. The program was launched on September 10 – the birthday of company founder Joe Whitty – and involved coordination by franchisees and general managers of all 50 restaurants and franchises, including the Happy Joe’s open in the Roxy suburb of Cairo, Egypt.
Kristel Ersan, Whitty’s daughter and Vice President of Marketing for the company, said: “My family and I are honored to make this gift and continue our father’s mission of giving back to the communities that helped him achieve his dream.” Tom Sacco also commented on the donation by saying: “For 50 years, Happy Joe’s has strived to create magical moments for all our guests wherever they may be. We plan to continue Joe’s legacy for as long as possible. Our hope is that each donation we make will bring smiles and welcome relief to wonderful families across our system!”
Additional Fundraising Driven by New Tech Initiatives
Happy Joe’s is about more than just direct gift-giving to families in need. To generate proactive donations throughout the year, the company has tapped into its new tech platform to drive its annual Back-to-School fundraising, alongside Happy Fundraising cards and the Happy Joe’s Scrip Program.
With Happy Fundraising cards, guests can enjoy over $40 in savings. The cards are accepted at all locations, and groups can purchase the cards for $1 and sell them for $5, making a $4 profit on each card sold.
The Happy Joe’s Scrip Program is another way that schools and organizations can purchase Happy Joe’s gift cards at a discounted price and resell them at their full retail value. They are available in a variety of denominations from participating locations.
Organizations can also benefit from Happy Joe’s charity and donation programs by hosting a five-hour fundraiser. During these events, guests are invited to order for dine-in, carryout, or delivery on a specific date at specific times for between 10% and 15% of the purchase, being dedicated to a cause of the buyer’s choice. Some locations can even extend their fundraising offer beyond five hours.
Tom Sacco talked about these initiatives and said: “Our Back-to-School fundraisers have always been a significant aspect of Happy Joe’s. Since 1972, we have been committed to giving back to the community, and we plan to keep providing multiple fundraising opportunities for years to come. We can’t wait to work with many local organizations again this year and invite anyone else who is interested to come join us as we put the “fun” back in fundraising!”
Happy Joe’s Looking to the Future
According to Tom Sacco, Happy Joe’s focuses on family connections. The company aims to be the go-to destination for celebrating any family event, and those propositions and offerings are extended to school and community groups and other related events. The goal is to create lifelong magical memories for guests, but how the company gets it done is a strategic part of its DNA. Happy Joe’s requires every franchisee to have an organization that supports special needs. Furthermore, the company is very different from the competition because Happy Joe’s does not look at pizza as a commodity but as an opportunity to create innovative and unique food products that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert.
With dozens of new franchise openings this year and many more in the pipeline for 2023 and beyond,Tom Sacco’s new direction for the business during and after the COVID-19 pandemic is bearing fruit. From the American Midwest to the Florida Panhandle and overseas in Egypt and more new locations in other Middle Eastern markets, the combination of tech-fueled efficiency, customer-centric offerings, and a brand that cuts across cultures and locations to bring people together with shared values is a rare one indeed. Today, Happy Joe’s continues to honor its founder’s legacy because of the dedication and commitment of Sacco and the company’s leadership team helping whoever it can along the way.
