Midwestern pizza brand strengthens marketing, training, supply chain and operations to fuel franchise growth
Davenport, IA (Restaurant News Release) Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream is building momentum with the addition of four seasoned leaders to its executive team: Abby Rock as vice president of marketing, Ashley Balluff as vice president of training and culinary services, Jenny Culp as vice president of purchasing and supply chain, and Christopher Anschutz as vice president of restaurant operations.
As CEO, President and Chief Happiness Officer Tom Sacco builds the leadership of the future, he is blending internal promotions of two current and successful executives each with 20+ years of experience at Happy Joe’s, along with two seasoned leaders that bring 20+ years of professional experience with franchisees, and/or, affiliated independent operators being supported through successful collective leadership, blending and setting in motion the long term strategy for continuous improvement and growth.
The expanded team will guide brand strategy, training and culinary standards, procurement and distribution, as well as day-to-day restaurant operations across company and franchise locations. Their collective focus is to deliver best-in-class support to franchisees while protecting the magical guest experience that defines Happy Joe’s as Happy Joe’s expands across the USA and internationally.
Rock joins Happy Joe’s with nearly 20 years in sales and marketing experience, including a decade leading marketing for one of the country’s largest independently owned jewelry companies before launching her own consulting firm. She will spearhead brand strategy, creative development, digital and social programs and field support for franchisees.
Balluff has been part of the Happy Joe’s family since 1999 and has held roles as head coach, district coach, and director of field training. She was director of training and culinary development from 2022 until her promotion to vice president in 2025. In her new role, she will oversee training programs and culinary development, ensuring consistent standards across the system.
Culp has played a major role within the brand’s operations and supply chain since 2007, most recently serving as the director of purchasing and supply chain. In her new role as vice president, she will oversee sourcing, vendor partnerships, and distribution strategies that position franchisees for success while ensuring consistency, quality, and value for guests.
Anschutz joins as vice president of operations, bringing leadership and franchise experience from Ponderosa Steakhouse, Texas Roadhouse, and T.G.I. Friday’s. Since 2020, Chris has been part of the Happy Joe’s parent organization, Dynamic Restaurant Holdings, LLC, where he rose from director of operations, to senior franchise business consultant, to vice president of operations. In his new role, he will focus on operational excellence across corporate and franchise operations, as well as, supporting Happy Joe’s franchisees in growing their high-performing restaurants.
“These appointments reflect our Servant Leadership focus on people, restaurants and franchisee support,” said Sacco. “Each of these Servant Leaders brings a service-minded approach and a proven expertise that will strengthen our foundation as we continue our expansion into new and existing markets. Their focused Servant Leadership ensure that we’re not just getting bigger, but growing better.”
Happy Joe’s is renowned for its specialty pizzas – the 200+ pepperonis stacked Lollapalooza pepperoni pizza, the authentic smoked BBQ Brisket pizza, and the iconic Taco Pizza, layered with ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, refried beans and taco sauce. Children can play games, win prizes and top off each visit with a trip to the ice cream counter. Happy Joe’s is proud to be a brand that has created magical memories that last a lifetime for generations of families across the U.S. and now even overseas for over 50 years.
To learn more about Happy Joe’s, visit HappyJoesFranchising.com. For those interested in Happy Joe’s franchising opportunities, email Kat Davidson at KatD@drhnow.com or call 678.485.8413.
About Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream
Founded in 1972 by Joe Whitty in Davenport, Iowa, Happy Joe’s dream was to create a restaurant concept that focused on serving America’s two favorite foods – pizza and ice cream – in a family-friendly, celebratory environment. Owned and operated by Dynamic Restaurant Holdings Inc., Happy Joe’s has been named a FastCasual “Top 200” concept, Franchise Times “Top 400” business and Nation’s Restaurant News “Top 500” restaurant. The family-centric pizza brand has eight company-owned and 34 franchise locations throughout the Midwest, with more in the pipeline. To learn more, visit HappyJoes.com, or follow Happy Joe’s on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Contact:
Jay Brasher
Champion
972-930-9933
jbrasher@championmgt.com