This is one of Happy Joe’s most important core values. When Lawrence Joseph Whitty, “Happy Joe,” opened the first Happy Joe’s in 1972 in the Village of East Davenport, Iowa, he was committed from day one to giving back to his community.
Now that Happy Joe’s is successful with over 60 locations in 6 different states, we remain dedicated and committed to giving back to the communities who have helped make us successful.
We have won numerous awards for our good works and involvement in community programs. We have also created a variety of programs for schools and organized groups.
A non-profit organization founded by Happy Joe Whitty and his family to help meet the needs of special needs kids wherever they may be.
We have many ways to help you raise funds for your group or organization. One of our most popular selling our Happy, Fundraising Cards. These cards are worth over $40 in savings, and are good at any Happy Joe’s location. Groups purchase these cards for $1 and sell them for $5, making a $4 profit on each card they sell!
Happy cards are about the size of a credit card and hold 8 coupons on the back. The coupons peel off and can be used at any Happy Joe’s location. The total value of the card exceeds $35. We sell the cards to your group for $1 each and your group or organization resells them for $5, making a $4 profit per card. It’s a wonderful and easy way to raise funds and offer some great discounts at Happy Joe’s. To order your Happy Cards, call the Happy Joe’s nearest you.
Another popular fundraiser is the 5-Hour Fundraiser. Your group creates a flyer that says “Order from Happy Joe’s for dine-in, carryout or delivery on a specific date between 4-9 pm and 10% of your purchase will go towards your chosen cause.” Guests must present the flyer when paying for their meal. At the end of the 5 hours all receipts are tallied and within 2 weeks you will receive a check for 10% of the revenues.
This can be a great fundraiser for any group. However, the trick is you need to ensure that the flyers go to many people. Do the math and find out how much your group needs to make and ensure that many orders are coming in. The more we sell, the more you get. Some of our locations will extend this fundraising offer beyond 5 hours. Contact the store nearest you and discuss your event with one of our head coaches or owners.
Many of Happy Joe’s locations have buffets or smorgasbords at lunchtime. However, if you have a special group, we may be able to set up a buffet just for you. Call your local Happy Joe’s and ask them about a buffet fundraiser where you keep a portion of the per-head price. Most stores will need to have 40 or more people to make this a viable option.
If your local group has an idea for a fundraiser, we’re happy to listen. Customize your own fundraiser utilizing Happy Joe’s products and services and submit it in writing to the store nearest you. We are happy to review it and let you know of we can help.
Happy is our mascot. He’s a big, fluffy black and white Dalmatian and kids love him. Happy loves to dance, give hugs and entertain the kids. Contact your local Happy Joe's about having Happy attend your event. He can also be part of your next birthday party. Not all Happy Joe’s locations have a Happy costume. Contact the store nearest you for details.
Our Happy Reader Program is designed to excite and encourage children to read! Teachers, librarians, or homeschool instructors set individual monthly reading goals for each Child based on their needs. We suggest doing the program for 90 days with a reading goal each month. At the end of each month, the children can be rewarded for their efforts with a certificate for a Little Joe Pizza from Happy Joe’s! Asked location nearest you for details!
We’ve been having Special Needs parties for 42 years, and have hosted over 150,000 children with special needs at parties throughout our chain.
When Joe opened his first restaurant in the Village of each Devonport Iowa in 1972, a mother came in and asked if she could have permission to bring in her child with special needs. Joe asked her why she felt she needed to ask permission, and the mother said her child had not been welcomed in other establishments. From that day on Joe made a commitment to give back to the Special Needs community. Every year, typically around the holidays, each one of our locations hosts a heart warming party for children with Special Needs. These parties are our favorite days of the year! If you have a child with special needs, or a part of a group that services the Special Needs community, please let us know how we can work together to make a positive difference! ~ Happy Joe Whitty
Happy Joe supports all kinds of athletic groups and teams. Our Player Of The Week Program offers coaches free certificates to recognize 1 to 3 special players each week for their performance, sportsmanship, or being a good teammate. Each certificate has an area to customize it with the players name. Kids love to be acknowledged for their efforts, and are thrilled to display their certificates at home or in their bedrooms. Each certificate comes with a Happy Joe’s detachable pizza coupon to contribute to that celebration of their achievements!
We would love to host your group, club, or organization for a Happy Joe’s restaurant tour! Kids will learn a little bit about our history, tour our restaurant, and make their own pizzas! It’s a wonderful learning experience and every child will leave with their very own Pizza Artist certificate! Tours are typically geared towards elementary aged students, but we’re happy to customize the tour for any age group!
Schools and organizations can purchase our gift cards at a discounted prices and resell them for retail prices to raise funds for their needs! Gift cards can be purchased in a variety of denominations.
Schools and organizations can purchase our gift cards at a discounted prices and resell them for retail prices to raise funds for their needs! Gift cards can be purchased in a variety of denominations. For more information on this program contact the Happy Joe’s Support Center: 563-332-8811
