Popular Midwest restaurant is opening first Florida location in Navarre
Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream’s first location in Florida has been approved for development in Navarre, according to the project’s development order from Santa Rosa County.
The restaurant franchise is known for its pizza and desserts across multiple states in the Midwest including Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Navarre location will also be the franchise's first restaurant on the eastern side of the Mississippi River.
Jeff Harding is listed as the project’s owner/developer on its site plan approved by Santa Rosa County’s Development Services.
Harding and company applied for approval of the project to Santa Rosa County on June 8. The project was approved a few months later on Sept. 6 following revisions to details within the original site plan at the request of the county.
Here’s what we know about the incoming fast-casual restaurant for Navarre.
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What is Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream?
Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream is a chain of restaurants serving breakfast, pizza, ice cream and more options in a buffet setup similar to Cicis Pizza locations.
Lawrence Joseph Whitty or “Happy Joe” opened the franchise’s inaugural location in Davenport, Iowa in 1972. Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream was inducted into the Pizza Hall of Fame last year and was listed at No. 468 in the 2017 Entrepreneur Magazine’s Fortune 500.
What will their new restaurant bring?
The building will be 6,140 square feet and include a kid’s party room and game area. The development will be built on a two-acre parcel, according to the project’s site plan approved by Santa Rosa County.
A new retail store will also be built next to the restaurant in a future phase of the project’s development and is planned to be 2,750 square feet, according to the project’s site plan approved by Santa Rosa County.
Where is the Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream being built?
The incoming Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream is being built at 2502 S Hwy 87 in Navarre, according to the project’s filings with Santa Rosa County.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Happy Joe's Pizza and Ice Cream new restaurant in Navarre, Florida
