Beloved Pizza Parlor Happy Joe’s Back In This North Dakota City

I have fond memories of Happy Joe's Pizza.

Growing up in Grand Forks, North Dakota it was one of our hang-out places with their arcade and ice cream shop.  It was a great place to take a date, hang out with your friends, and they even had a delicious lunch buffet.

Happy Joe's lunch buffet was a frequent lunchtime stop for my co-workers and me.  They had one of the most popular pizza toppings in Grand Forks at the time (taco), and I just loved their mud pie ice cream.

Happy Joe's was also famous in my hometown for their birthday parties.  In fact, we had one of my son's first big birthday parties when he was young at Happy Joe's. It's where I learned to master Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Tempest when I was young.

It was an adjustment when I moved to Bismarck a little over 4 years ago with the way our Happy Joe's is set up. 

It wasn't quite the same as my hometown.  It's located in a gas station (Red Carpet) at 2921 North 11th Street in North Bismarck.  At least the pizza was the same but not exactly the same dining experience.

Then, our Happy Joe's in Bismarck changed its business model.

You are no longer able to place an order.  They are now a "grab and go" pizza place only (Little Joe's).

Happy Joe's in Bismarck has become more like a Hot Stuff Pizza.

Similar to what you see in other gas stations.  Not the same as the restaurant pizza parlor that I became accustomed to growing up.

Grand Forks now has the only Happy Joe's Pizza Parlor restaurant in the state.  For now, that is.

I wish we were getting this in Bismarck, but Happy Joe's Pizza Parlor restaurant is returning to Fargo, North Dakota.

That's according to a report from KVRR TV, and the Vice President for franchise development for Happy Joe's Pizza & Ice Cream Parlors Kat Davidson (my sister used to work at the previous Fargo Happy Joe's that was located on University).

The new store will be operated by a franchisee and the location of the new restaurant is being worked out.

Good news for Happy Joe's fans all across North Dakota, and especially for people in Fargo.