Tom Sacco, CEO, president and chief “happiness” officer at Happy Joe’s about Pizza milestone” growth says the brand is “a business” but says the “calling is much greater” in the communities they serve. (Fox News Digital / Olivia Palombo)
For more than 50 years, Happy Joe’s Pizza has been serving more than their famous pizza and ice cream, they have found something very important: a “safe place” for children and families, according to the Chief “Happiness” of the company, Tom Sacco.
The brand, headquartered in Davenport, Iowa, began in 1972 and was founded by Joe Whitty. “A baker by trade,” he ended up working for Shakey’s Pizza.
“From what I understand, he went to Shakey’s and said, ‘Hey, I have an opportunity with my background, I think I can really improve our pizza dough,'” Happy Joe’s Pizza CEO Tom Sacco, President and CEO of “Happiness”, recalled.
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“They said, ‘Well, if you don’t think our pizza dough is good, why don’t you just go and start your own restaurant,'” Sacco continued.
To this day, the brand continues to use that same dough recipe, according to Sacco.
“I’m trying to be honest, I don’t know him, but I understand some of his traits,” Sacco told FOX Business.
Sacco has spent his entire career in the restaurant business and grew up working in his grandfather’s kitchen at the age of eight. After obtaining bachelor’s and master’s degrees and completing law school, he still chooses to pursue a career in this field.
Happy Joe’s Pizza was the first restaurant company in the world to create the Taco Pizza, according to their website. (Joe’s Happy Pizza / Unknown)
After a career working with other restaurants, he joined Happy Joe’s Pizza in 2020.
“I’m very comfortable in this industry, but what I’m most excited about is Happy Joe’s DNA. It’s always about family and it’s about children,” said Sacco.
Sacco said that when he visited Iowa before he took over the company, he went around the stores asking people if they knew the product. He explained that those he spoke to “will continue to say [him] all these magical memories they had.”
“I thought to myself, ‘You know what? I’m going to help them because it’s a good product, but I’m also going to be selfish,'” Sacco said. “I will help them because I want my family, my grandchildren, to grow up with the memories shared by all these people.”
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In 2025, the company reported a “milestone year” of growth and social impact, according to a release shared with Fox Business.
The brand reopened the business in New Ulm, Minn., with “renewed development efforts” that support planned growth across Texas and Iowa, among other states. It is also expanding its West Coast presence, opening in Oro Valley, Ariz., in the spring.
“This year has shown what is possible when shareholders, team members and guests believe in that mission,” the Sacco said in its release. “We’ve grown into new markets, gained recognition in our industry and created meaningful moments for the communities we love. As we look to 2026, we’re determined to keep that spirit central to everything we do.”
The company began selling the food truck in October 2025, according to reports. (Joe’s Happy Pizza / Unknown)
Although the company has reported great success over the past few years, that does not go without facing the usual inflationary pressures. Sacco shared that despite these pressures, he “revived” the original products Whitty used just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“So when everyone hit the top, we saw an increase in the price,” said Sacco. “That climb continued, really, until the end [2025].”
Sacco said the effort sounded like it would “go against the grain.”
“It felt like I was going against the grain, not because I needed to do anything different, because I believed that when the longtime franchisees said, ‘Tom, if we can tell you something, [it’s to] follow the recipe [Whitty] he had,” said Sacco.
milestone” growth
This brand is also deeply involved in charity work and community involvement. According to their website, the company has won numerous awards and created various programs to “give back to the communities that have helped [them] it was very successful.”
The restaurant has various locations throughout the Quad Cities area and is looking to expand into Texas, Arizona and beyond, according to Sacco. (Joe’s Happy Pizza / Unknown)
In an emotional moment, the Sacco said that although the company is a business, “the call [of Happy Joe’s Pizza] it’s too much.”
The company holds an annual event called Happy Joe’s Holiday Parties for Children with Special Needs. This year, the company reported that about 2,000 children attended. Sacco said that these moments are the ones that make him “excited” about the future.
“It really touches me to see these kids care about pizza,” said Sacco with tears in his eyes. “It’s not the pizza, it’s the magic the pizza has done to them.”
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As the company continues its growth efforts in 2026, the Sacco said it plans to continue to be a “servant leader.”
“I try to be the best staff leader I can be. I try to lead by example… If you care, that’s what you do,” Sacco said. “I think bringing attention back to Happy Joe was one of the things that was missing.”
