Operations

Happy Joe's Pizza & Ice Cream hits Florida

Photo: Cheese pizza

September 6, 2024

Midwestern favorite Happy Joe's Pizza & Ice Cream will open its first restaurant in Florida to the public on Sept. 30th, according to a press release.

The restaurant is under the helm of Jennifer and Jeff Harding, who broke ground in Navarre, Florida, earlier this year.

"We didn't want to open just any restaurant," Jennifer Harding said in the press release. "We wanted something new for the area, but iconic in its own right. Nothing made more sense than Happy Joe's and we are confident the community, and families specifically, are going to embrace the pizza and atmosphere as much as we have."

The restaurant is the 47th Happy Joe's in the U.S. system. The Hardings will employee about 100 people.

"Happy Joe's really is a giant family," Tom Sacco, chief happiness officer, CEO and president said in the press release. "We take great pride in providing a safe, friendly atmosphere for kids who are working their first job, as well as managers who are looking for a long-term career path. This opportunity in Navarre is going to be a shining example of that. We are also very excited about entering the Sunshine State on the Gulf Coast and expanding across Florida as more franchise opportunities present themselves."

The brand recently expanded in Egypt.