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Happy Chef

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Happy Chef Systems
IndustryCasual dining
FoundedMankato, Minnesota, U.S. (1963)
HeadquartersMankato, Minnesota, U.S.

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.

History

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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

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Another concept operated by Happy Chef was Ruttles 50s Bar & Grill Restaurants.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Krohn, Tim (February 9, 2018). "New Happy Chef owner looking at changes — and giving the chef statue his voice back". The Mankato Free Press. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  2. ^ Walsh, Paul (July 24, 2015). "First Happy Chef restaurant, the last still in business, is up for sale in Mankato". The Minneapolis Star Tribune. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  3. ^ Krohn, Tim (December 15, 2014). "The original 'happy chef' honored". The Mankato Free Press. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
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