Happy Chef

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.

Happy Chef Systems

Industry	Casual dining
Founded	Mankato, Minnesota, U.S. (1963)
Headquarters	Mankato, Minnesota, U.S.

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]