There are now12 locations
across the city– alongwithothers
throughout southeastMichigan and
intoOhio, Indiana, California, Nevada and
Georgia.
The company began franchising locations
in 2007 and 84 locations are now up and
running across the roster, a number that
includes between 20 and 25 corporate
“affiliated” stores – which Rice defined as
having a “like-minded interest between the
corporation and the franchisee.”
New concept s in menu i tems or
presentation are typically tested in those
locations, she said.
Locations are very similar across the board,
with the only variations tending to bewhere
menu prices reflect different distribution
costs in California as opposed to Michigan
or other states. The same interior and
exterior coloring is used in all locations –
red and black, with lots of neon and chrome
– and the menu is “99 percent the same”
fromrestaurant to restaurant.
The differences in food items, Rice said,
would be in regional dishes available in
appropriate locations, like a Polish dog in
Cleveland, for example. Overall, the typical
offerings include selections ranging from
pizza to ribs to grilled chicken salads to
French fries tobanana pudding.
“People don’t come to Happy’s to get pizza,
June-July 2014
136 | BusinessWorld |
