Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream’s flavor is becoming increasingly international now that the brand is tempting the palates of new customers not only across the United States, but across the ocean. Domestically in the past 18 months, the Bettendorf-based brand reports it also has signed more franchise agreements and opened more new locations in […]
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Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream’s flavor is becoming increasingly international now that the brand is tempting the palates of new customers not only across the United States, but across the ocean.
Domestically in the past 18 months, the Bettendorf-based brand reports it also has signed more franchise agreements and opened more new locations in more states than it had during the previous decade.
That’s just what Tom Sacco said he had in mind when he took over as CEO on Oct. 1, 2020, of a chain that was born in Davenport and founded by Lawrence Joseph “Happy Joe” Whitty in 1972. In addition to growing Happy Joe’s domestically, Mr. Sacco also has made good on his promise to spread Happy Joe’s magic across the globe by summer.
Those are among the accomplishments he will share with domestic and perhaps global franchisees at the company’s annual meeting in the Quad Cities from Sunday-Tuesday, Oct. 16-18, at Bally’s Quad Cities Casino, Rock Island. Mr. Sacco also will celebrate his second year anniversary as leader of the now international brand just two weeks before the 50th birthday party planned for Happy Joe’s growing family of franchisees.
A number of Happy Joe’s vendors have signed on to create a slick anniversary publication that will be shared at the meeting – the first the company has held since the onset of COVID-19.
There will be a lot to talk about, Mr. Sacco promised. “We’ve got so many exciting things going on.”
Among the things he outlined in an interview with the QCBJ were that takeout and delivery sales are now greater than they were at pre-pandemic levels and that “the vast majority of Happy Joe’s 50-plus locations are highly profitable.”
He also shared his excitement over the next phase in the iconic restaurant’s international growth plan that could one-day double the number of its current 50-plus franchises.
Happy Joe’s first global destination, as promised, is familiar and familial territory: Egypt, which already has celebrated grand openings in the Cairo suburbs.
“Egypt is rocking,” Mr. Sacco told the QCBJ. More locations are expected to open next month including at the upscale Mall of Arabia, Mall of Egypt and at Lotus.
One of those grand openings, which Mr. Sacco called “a big, black-tie-blowout,” will feature Daniel Rubinstein, U.S. charge d’Affaires to Egypt. Mr. Sacco credited the efforts of U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa for making it work.
“Whether it’s through agriculture production or iconic Iowa businesses like Happy Joe’s, I always like to remind people that Iowa truly does feed the world,” Mr. Grassley said. “Congratulations to everyone involved with this impressive international expansion.”
It shows no signs of slowing down soon, Mr. Sacco said.
He said H.J. Middle East LLC’s Happy Joe’s deal calls for 50 new locations, 25 of which are currently funded and franchised. Given the early success, Mr. Sacco expects to see Ahmed Elbatran eventually open more locations across Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The company is made up of Ahmed Mohamed Magdy Elbatran, Mohamed Magdy Elbatran, Abeer Ahmed Abdelhalim Elkabbany and Zina Mohamed Magdy Elbatran. As Mr. Sacco told QCBJ readers back in April, Mohamed Magdy and his two brothers were Happy Joe’s franchisees in the 1980s and 1990s. Ahmed Mohamed Magdy Elbatran, son of Mohamed Magdy, grew up on the brand and wanted to bring Happy Joe’s to Egypt.
Meanwhile, closer to home, the company is seeing more redesigned stores and technological upgrades, including Happy Joe’s first ever App, which were created to increase guest satisfaction.
Pains also were taken, Mr. Sacco told QCBJ, to ensure the redesigned restaurants still paid tribute to the brilliance of Lawrence Joseph “Happy Joe” Whitty, who died on Oct. 29, 2019. Happy Joe opened his first restaurant in the Village of East Davenport on Nov. 16, 1972.
