Jake Fee Keeps Happy Joe's 50-Year Legacy Alive in Crookston

Jake and Ellie Fee didn’t set out to become pizza franchisees, but when the opportunity to buy their local Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream in Crookston, Minnesota, came up, it was too good to pass up.

“We weren’t necessarily looking for a business like this,” Jake said. “We’d been in the food and beverage industry, mostly bars and restaurants, but the chance to buy Happy Joe’s presented itself.”

Jake was born and raised in Crookston, and Happy Joe’s had always been a part of the local scene. When the previous owners decided it was time to retire, Jake and Ellie met with the area’s economic development leader and jumped at the chance to take over the well-loved restaurant.

“The Happy Joe's location here in Crookston had already been around for over 40 years, so I knew the location very well,” Jake said. “It’s a staple here.”

While they were new to pizza, the couple leaned heavily on the Happy Joe’s support center to help them get up and running. From day one, they felt like they weren’t doing it alone. The support team gave them the resources and confidence they needed to succeed.

“A lot of companies call it a corporate office, but Happy Joe’s calls it a support center and that name couldn’t be more true,” Jake said. “They really helped us along, and to this day they provide essential services for us. They're not just worried about collecting that royalty fee or anything else. They really care about our bottom line and how we operate and being the best Happy Joe's possible.”

Beyond financial success, Jake says the most rewarding part of owning a Happy Joe’s has been the connection to the Crookston community. By working with local businesses and schools, the Fees have found a way to make Happy Joe’s more than just a restaurant.

“We're involved with the local schools on a Happy Reader program. So, if they meet their goals each semester, they get a free Little Joe pizza and things like that,” Jake said. “We really like to be embedded into our community and support it as much as possible.”

One long-time employee has been with the Crookston Happy Joe’s for more than four decades. Others are just starting out, learning customer service, teamwork and time management for the first time.

“We really try to be as welcoming as possible and have a good environment for them as they enter into the workforce,” Jake said, “and hopefully guide them into a successful life going forward.”

The connection to customers is just as strong. Jake says people often stop him around town to share Happy Joe’s stories, especially memories of birthday parties from their childhood.

“People will either say, ‘Your staff was amazing,’ or ‘The pizza was amazing.’ There are just so many good comments that come out of the business and it’s been embedded into this community,” he said. “So many people come up to me and say, ‘I've had my first 10 birthday parties here.’ It's a lifelong experience that Happy Joe's can offer to its customers.”