Iconic Midwestern pizza chain sees loyalty rewards, mobile orders, innovative menu offerings add up to steady revenue streams in takeout and delivery
Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream prides itself on making an emotional connection between its innovative pizza offerings and its loyal fans – regardless of where that bond takes place.
That belief has proven true as takeout and delivery sales of its one-of-a-kind pizzas are robust even with guests returning to the restaurant for dine-in fun. Happy Joe’s delivery sales have been consistently strong this year, accounting for 35% of overall sales in Q1 of 2022, while takeout sales were a bit higher at 38% during the same time period.
Coming off two consecutive years of consistent increases in takeout and delivery sales, this year’s Q1 and partial Q2 numbers are higher than pre-pandemic levels of 2019. The combined revenue in takeout and delivery equaled 73%, 12 percentage points higher than in Q1 of 2019, a strong diversification for a brand that was built on its dine-in, family fun destination reputation.
Happy Joe’s loyal guest base is drawn to the restaurant’s fun and festive atmosphere yet continues to embrace the brand’s in-house delivery, curbside and takeout service. This model has made it easy for guests to receive their favorite pizza offerings for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even dessert, said Happy Joe’s CEO and Chief Happiness Officer Tom Sacco.
“Being able to tap into that Happy Joe’s feeling with a bite of our delicious Taco Joe or Chicken Hot Wing Pizza is what we’re trying to recreate whether you’re in our restaurant or at home, in Iowa, Florida or Cairo,” Sacco said. “We want to give our guests as many ways to place their order and enjoy those moments as possible. At the same time, we want to give our operators the best tools to maximize their revenue streams in an ever-changing, hyper-competitive environment.”
The iconic midwestern pizza brand credits its steady takeout and delivery sales growth in part to brand loyalty and its recent commitment to an easier ordering process from its app and web platforms. New technology in the delivery process has increased the speed of delivery for drivers and provides email notification for guests to know when their pizza is on its way and has been delivered. When the pizzas arrive, they are hot and fresh as Happy Joe’s uses an insulated hot bag and a portable, custom-designed, heated box to ensure a straight-from-the-oven taste.
The new technological upgrades fall in line with the family-centric pizza and ice cream brand’s planned expansion across the United States into Florida, South Carolina, Colorado, Arizona and Texas. And into the international market with six restaurants under construction in Cairo, Egypt, building “Happy Places” for families globally while enlisting new and existing franchisees to grow the successful concept at an unprecedented rate.
“We’re excited to see our numbers grow in 2022 as our guests return in higher numbers to dine in our restaurants and continue to order their Happy Joe’s favorites for takeout or delivery,” Sacco said. “It’s our 50th anniversary this year, so we want our guests to join in on the fun. And as a thank you for their loyalty, they can use promo code HJ50th on all online orders to save $10 on any $50 or more order all year!”
To learn more about Happy Joe’s franchise opportunities email Kat Davidson at KatD@drhnow.com or call 678.485.8413.
Founded in 1972 by Joe Whitty in Davenport, Iowa, 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. Owned and operated by Dynamic Restaurant Holdings Inc., 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 family-centric pizza brand has eight company and 34 franchise locations throughout the Midwest with more in the pipeline. To learn more, visit HappyJoes.com or follow Happy Joe’s on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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