Egypt is a land known for pyramids, its mighty river and, thanks to Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream, family-sized servings of pizza.
Dating back to 2022, the beloved pizza brand has been expanding across Egypt through a 25-unit franchise agreement led by the president of Happy Joe’s Middle East LLC, Ahmed El Batran. Ahmed is supported by his partners and family members: father Mohamed Magdy El Batran, mother Abeer Ahmed Abdelhalim Elkabbany, and sister Zina Mohamed Magdy El Batran.
The group’s first location opened to huge fanfare in the Cairo suburb of Roxy, before expanding to two more locations in the greater Cairo area. This summer, two more locations are scheduled to open in the city of El Sheikh Zayed at 26th of July Road, and another outside of Cairo up in Amwaj, on the North Coast.
“In addition to 26th of July Road being an excellent DELCO and pickup location, that restaurant will enable us to provide delivery service to parts of Sheikh Zayed not covered by other Happy Joe’s locations, as well as new areas such as Royal City, Palm Hills and Khamayel,” said Tom Sacco, Happy Joe’s chief happiness officer, CEO and president.
Located inside a popular mall and near several resorts, the Amwaj Happy Joe’s will benefit from abundant local tourism. The location is perfect for vacationers looking for a bite to eat while traveling with family. For that reason, it will only be open during the summer months.
Happy Joe’s is a family affair for Ahmed, who grew up watching his father and uncles own and operate the popular Midwestern brand’s franchises in the 1980s and 1990s. While pursuing other career interests, Ahmed saw the recent success and global growth of Happy Joe’s and decided to bring the pizza party back to The Land of Ra.
“I have a deep connection with Happy Joe’s, and so many memories of spending time with family, eating their signature pizzas and having the time of my life playing games and indulging in the ice cream offerings,” said Ahmed El Batran. “My family and I are very passionate about bringing those experiences to families across Egypt.”
Joe Whitty founded Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream in 1972 in Davenport, Iowa. The family-centric pizza brand has eight company-owned and 34 franchise locations throughout the Midwest, with more in the pipeline.
