Happy Joe's Pizza
Food & Beverage · Quick-Service Restaurants
- Active units
- 35
- Avg unit volume
- $932k
- Royalty
- 6.0%
Franchised, year-end 2023
of weekly Net Sales
About Happy Joe's Pizza
Happy Joe's Pizza is all about fun, quality, and of course, pizza! Since 1972, we have been serving our guests and community with our signature pizzas, creative sandwiches, delicious pasta, and creamy ice cream. Whether you're craving our famous Taco Joe Pizza or indulging in our delectable Ice Cream Sundaes, we have something that the whole family will love. Our commitment to providing smiles extends beyond our food, as we believe in giving back to the community. Joe Whitty, the founder of Happy Joe's, instilled this philosophy in our company culture. He was a strong supporter of Partners in Education and believed in providing support, love, discipline, and guidance to every child in order to help them succeed. While Joe is no longer with us, his legacy lives on through our involvement in various charitable organizations. With new leadership, we have embraced technology while maintaining our traditional look and feel, ensuring an engaging and user-friendly experience for our guests. As we expand across the US and globally, we aim to spread our family-centric culture and create magical memories for children and families around the world. Visit our website to learn more about our menu, rewards, deals, and franchising opportunities. Join us at Happy Joe's Pizza to experience good times and delicious food that will bring joy to your day.
Key terms
- Franchise fee
$35k
- Legacy Franchisee
If signing a new agreement after expiration of an existing agreement, initial franchise fee is 1,000
- Ethnic minority or women owners
Special incentive program: initial franchise fee is 25,000 (must own ≥51% and be operating owner)
- Brand fund
1.5% of Net Sales
- Local advertising
2.0% of Net Sales
- Footprint
1,500 – 4,500 sq ft
- Area Development Agreement
$35k
- Veteran discount
28.6% off franchise fee — Special incentive program: initial franchise fee is 25,000 for honorably discharged U.S. veterans (must own ≥51% and be operating owner)
Brand Percentile Rankings
Rankings compare brands in the same operating year. Fee and investment figures come from the FDD (2025 filing); filings on file: 2024, 2025.
Growth
- Total locations—
Franchised units open at year-end
- New openings—
Gross new units opened during the calendar year
- 1-year unit growth rate—
Net unit growth versus prior year
- 3-year unit CAGR—
Compound annual growth rate of unit count over the trailing 3 years
- Unit growth ratio—
Cumulative opens / closures through year-end
Unit economics
- Annual unit volume (Median)$924k
Average Gross Sales for Full-Size franchised restaurants for year ending Sept 30, 2024.
- Annual unit volume (25th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (75th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- 1-year Median AUV growth rate-0.9%
Year-over-year change in median AUV
- Store-level EBITDA Margin—
Median unit-level EBITDA / AUV
Investment profile
- Estimated initial investment$550k
Midpoint of estimated initial investment range
↓ Lower is better - Time to open3 months
Midpoint of average time from agreement to opening
↓ Lower is better - Royalty rate—
Percent of net sales paid to the franchisor
- Sales-to-investment ratio1.7×
Median AUV / estimated initial investment midpoint
- Cash-on-cash returns—
Median unit-level EBITDA / estimated initial investment midpoint. Steady-state estimate; year 1 returns will be lower as the unit ramps to median volumes.
Franchisee healthLocked
- Unit closure ratio
- Transfer vs. closure ratio
- Percent multi-unit franchisees
- Litigation rate
- EBITDA multiple on sales & transfers
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Location footprint
Showing 34 of 36 mapped locations
Sources
Financial and operating figures are sourced from the brand's Franchise Disclosure Documents. Brand percentile rankings are based on comparisons to other brands that include the same metrics in their Franchise Disclosure Documents.