Jake Fee and Ellie Koepp are officially the new owners of Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream Parlor in Crookston.
They purchased Happy Joe’s a couple of days ago after months of working on a succession plan with the previous owners. “We had been working on this for about eight months now, and Craig Hoiseth of (CHEDA) kind of knew I was looking for something different and asked if I wanted to own a pizza place” said Fee. “From there we set up a meeting with the previous owners and it was kind of a match that ended up working out.”
Both Fee and Koepp have experience in the industry, and one of the most appealing aspects of taking over Happy Joe’s was how well run it was by the previous owners, and the ability to take over right where they left off.
Current hours have been reduced due to a lack of staffing, an issue many places in Crookston are struggling with. Fee admitted that is one of the biggest challenges he is facing as he takes over. “Right now, there is an employee shortage for just about everybody, so we are closed on Mondays, and some days we have to close up a little early,” said Fee. “The biggest thing is getting employees back in the door and getting back to normal hours as soon as possible.”
The Happy Joe’s franchise has been around since 1972 when the first one opened in East Davenport, Iowa. They now have locations operating all over the Midwest. Around Crookston, Fee noted how the pizza joint is one of those places, you keep going back to. “It’s just one of those places that when you come back into town you got to hit up,” said Fee. “Happy Joe’s has always prided themselves on top quality pizza going out the door and we look forward to continuing that tradition.”