Happy Chef

From Wikipedia, the free 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 1990's to pub and grill-type restaurants, the remaining locations number just 14.

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 an A-frame architecture with a "tower" like structure in front. From the 1960's to the early 90's, 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 and Faribault, Minnesota.

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.