Happy Chef
Encyclopedia
Happy Chef is a casual dining
restaurant chain in the Upper Midwest
, based in Mankato, Minnesota
. It is known for serving breakfast
throughout the day and is similar to Denny's
, Perkins
, and IHOP.The first Happy Chef Restaurant opened in 1963 in Mankato, Minnesota, and still operates today. At one time, the chain had 56 restaurants throughout the Midwestern United States. However, as consumer's tastes changed throughout the mid to late 1990s to pub and grill-type restaurants, the remaining locations number just 16.
At one time, most of its locations had a big statue of a smiling man in a chef hat holding a spoon. Usually, these were at least eight times larger than life and would play recorded audio messages when a button was pushed. These became roadside icons. Today, only the original location in Mankato still has a Happy Chef statue.
The older restaurants have wood frame and siding architecture with a "tower" like structure in front; the restaurant wings jutting out on either side and behind the tower. Variations include an A-shaped roof on either side of the tower, or the A-frame structure with vaulted ceilings inside. From the late 1960s to the early 1990s, flashing lights on this structure would draw roadside travelers in. The restaurants that still possess these structures do not use them anymore. Examples of these locations include Story City, Iowa; and Owatonna, Minnesota. There are two in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Newer restaurants have a mansard roof with a gable on either side. Inside this gable is a round sign that says "Happy Chef." At night, instead of flashing bulbs, a red neon light that runs the length of the roof is illuminated instead. Examples of these restaurants include Adair, Iowa.
Casual dining
This is a list of casual dining restaurant chains around the world, arranged in alphabetical order. A casual dining restaurant is a restaurant that serves moderately-priced food in a casual atmosphere...
restaurant chain in the Upper Midwest
Upper Midwest
The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the midwest. Although there are no uniformly agreed-upon boundaries, the region is most commonly used to refer to the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and...
, based in Mankato, Minnesota
Mankato, Minnesota
Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located...
. It is known for serving breakfast
Breakfast
Breakfast is the first meal taken after rising from a night's sleep, most often eaten in the early morning before undertaking the day's work...
throughout the day and is similar to Denny's
Denny's
Denny's is a full-service coffee shop/family restaurant chain. It operates over 1,500 restaurants in the United States , Canada, Curaçao, Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica, Japan , Mexico, New Zealand, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.Denny's is known for always being...
, Perkins
Perkins Restaurant and Bakery
Perkins Restaurant and Bakery is a North American casual dining restaurant chain which serves breakfast throughout the day, including pancakes. Perkins also has a bakery that sells pastries that are baked fresh daily.- History :...
, and IHOP.The first Happy Chef Restaurant opened in 1963 in Mankato, Minnesota, and still operates today. At one time, the chain had 56 restaurants throughout the Midwestern United States. However, as consumer's tastes changed throughout the mid to late 1990s to pub and grill-type restaurants, the remaining locations number just 16.
At one time, most of its locations had a big statue of a smiling man in a chef hat holding a spoon. Usually, these were at least eight times larger than life and would play recorded audio messages when a button was pushed. These became roadside icons. Today, only the original location in Mankato still has a Happy Chef statue.
The older restaurants have wood frame and siding architecture with a "tower" like structure in front; the restaurant wings jutting out on either side and behind the tower. Variations include an A-shaped roof on either side of the tower, or the A-frame structure with vaulted ceilings inside. From the late 1960s to the early 1990s, flashing lights on this structure would draw roadside travelers in. The restaurants that still possess these structures do not use them anymore. Examples of these locations include Story City, Iowa; and Owatonna, Minnesota. There are two in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Newer restaurants have a mansard roof with a gable on either side. Inside this gable is a round sign that says "Happy Chef." At night, instead of flashing bulbs, a red neon light that runs the length of the roof is illuminated instead. Examples of these restaurants include Adair, Iowa.
External links
- Happy Chef - official site
- Profile of the original Happy Chef restaurant and its founder - first published in the Mankato Free PressMankato Free PressThe Free Press is a daily newspaper published in Mankato, Minnesota.-History:On April 4, 1887, Editor L.P. Hunt published the first issue of the Mankato Daily Free Press and found it was not easy...
, Mankato, Minnesota, 2005-11-01.