FdG! Happy Joe’s Sets Its Sights on North Texas Expansion
Happy Joe’s, home of the first taco pizza, is making big moves in 2023. After breaking ground on new international locations last summer, the beloved Midwestern quick-service chain is planning to enter the Lone Star State. New franchisee group HJ SMS OpCo, LLC is leading the brand’s expansion into north Texas, with plans to open a new Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream location in either Grand Prairie, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, DeSoto, or Arlington. The group is Happy Joe’s first minority- and Black-led franchisee, and member Rickey McBride is excited to take this historic step forward with a brand he grew up with. McBride and his partners look back fondly on their memories of the iconic pizza parlor. Each of them grew up in the Quad Cities area of Iowa and Illinois, with Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream a consistent source of great food and fun. A Davenport Central High alum, McBride said he celebrated many birthday parties, sports team wins, and fun nights out at Happy Joe’s, eating p