Happy Chef Explained

Happy Chef Systems
Foundation:	Mankato, Minnesota, U.S. (1963)
Location:	Mankato, Minnesota, U.S.
Industry:	Casual dining

Happy Chef is a casual dining restaurant in Mankato, Minnesota. It is known for serving breakfast throughout the day and is similar to Denny's, Perkins, and IHOP.

History

The first Happy Chef Restaurant opened in 1963 in Mankato. The chain eventually grew to 65 restaurants across the Midwest, employing nearly 3,000 people.^[1] However, as consumers increasingly patronized competitors and tastes changed to favor restaurants that offered alcohol and televisions, Happy Chef's owner leased or sold off all the restaurants but one—the original location in Mankato, which still operates today.^[2]

Other Concepts

Another concept operated by Happy Chef was Ruttles 50s Bar & Grill Restaurants.^[3]

External links

• Profile of the original Happy Chef restaurant and its founder - first published in the Mankato Free Press, Mankato, Minnesota, 2005-11-01.

Notes and References

1. News: New Happy Chef owner looking at changes — and giving the chef statue his voice back. Krohn. Tim. The Mankato Free Press. February 9, 2018. February 23, 2018.
2. News: First Happy Chef restaurant, the last still in business, is up for sale in Mankato. Walsh. Paul. The Minneapolis Star Tribune. July 24, 2015. April 20, 2016.
3. News: The original 'happy chef' honored. Krohn. Tim. The Mankato Free Press. December 15, 2014. February 23, 2018.