Known for hosting generations of families for their celebrations, now it is Happy Joe’s who is doing some celebrating after a series of standout achievements this year.
Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream, the iconic Quad Cities-born brand, recently announced how expansion into new markets and other growth initiatives are helping the Midwest-based pizza chain deliver record sales.
In a news release Monday, July 21, Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream said that its newest location in Florida has set two new sales records for the company, which has been creating a buzz and earning it national recognition.
Happy Joe’s, now in its 52nd year of business, made its debut in April in Florida with the opening of its new restaurant in Navarre. The location, the company said, opened up with back-to-back VIP events and a grand opening day that shattered previous sales records.
The new restaurant set both a single-day sales record for the company and a new record for the highest seven-day sales period in the brand’s history. Specific sales figures were not disclosed.
“The Navarre debut set a new bar for what success looks like for us,” Happy Joe’s Chief Happiness Officer Tom Sacco said in the release. “It reinforced that our model, our menu and our mission resonate with guests beyond the Midwest. This momentum is carrying us into new markets and inspiring renewed energy systemwide.”
The sales achievements also come on the heels of the Happy Joe’s brand being ranked on Pizza Marketplace’s 2025 Top 100 Movers & Shakers and Mr. Sacco also was named to the industry’s Top 25 Executives of the Year.
Whitty’s dream growing
Founded in 1972 by Lawrence “Happy Joe” Whitty in Davenport, Happy Joe’s dream was to create a restaurant concept that focused on serving America’s two favorite foods – pizza and ice cream – in a family-friendly, celebratory environment.
In 2017, the family-owned chain was acquired by Dynamic Restaurant Holdings Inc., a Davenport company formed to acquire and expand the Happy Joe’s and Tony Sacco’s Coal Oven Pizza brands. Happy Joe’s is headquartered in Davenport.
Its entrance into Florida is part of the company’s growth strategy, which is expected to lead to additional locations there as well as new territories such as Texas.
The brand also has been turning heads by embracing advances in technology and innovation including the 2024 introduction of a new robot to take customer’s orders and serve them. In 2023, Happy Joe’s partnered with online marketplace Goldbelly to make its pizzas available to fans in all 50 states. The online platform allows users to order from what it calls “America’s most legendary and iconic foods and gifts.”
Happy Joe’s also continues to gain national recognition as a franchise to watch, the company said. With three company-owned and 44 franchise locations mostly across the Midwest (and even the Middle East in Egypt), the brand earned the No. 21 spot on Pizza Marketplace’s Top 100 list. On the culinary side, it took home a Flavor & Menu award for its innovative Big Max Pizza.
Brand’s visibility rises
Happy Joe’s has been named a FastCasual “Top 200” concept, Franchise Times “Top 400” business, and Nation’s Restaurant News “Top 500” restaurant.
The brand also continues to gain visibility across its industry. In addition to his Top 25 Executives ranking by Pizza Marketplace, Mr. Sacco also was featured on the cover of PMQ Pizza Magazine in a story highlighting Happy Joe’s long-term strategy and values-based leadership. The marketing team was featured in PMQ during Women’s Empowerment Month with a byline from Haley Leuth discussing its commitment to inclusion and representation.
It has also maintained a consistent presence in holiday and seasonal coverage across major food and lifestyle outlets, with mentions for New Year’s Day, Super Bowl Sunday, Valentine’s Day, National Pizza Day, Lent, Pi Day, Easter, Tax Day and multiple appreciation weeks in spring.
For more information, visit HappyJoesFranchising.com. For information on starting a Happy Joe’s Pizza franchise, contact Kat Davidson at [email protected] or call (678) 485-8413.
