Forty years ago, Happy Joe Whitty opened the doors to his first store, “Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream” in the Village of East Davenport. Fast forward to today, and Happy Joe’s has become a Midwest landmark, with over 50 stores in seven states, and the story of Happy Joe Whitty has become a real-life tale of the American Dream in action. In 1972, the year he first opened his doors to the public, Ha
ppy Joe made a vow that he would give back every year to the community that made his dream a reality. In December of 1972, Happy Joe hosted what would become the first of hundreds of Special Needs Parties for children in various communities. Last year, at just one of Happy Joe’s annual Holiday Parties, the iWireless Center in the Quad Cities welcomed over a thousand children during the course of a two-day event.
