Today we’d like to introduce you to Happy Shehu.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My family and I came to Texas in 1999 as war refugees from Kosovo. My father opened his first restaurant in the early 2000’s this is where he learned our recipes, and how to cook. He sold it pretty quickly and changed fields but all my uncles and other relatives owned italian restaurants, so alot of my childhood was spent inside them. I started working when i was 15 years old in the back making salads, then cleaning tables. Eventually started picking up phones and waiting tables as i got older. I really enjoyed the customer interactions. In high school i was actually waiting tables at the same restaurant I own today. After graduating college from UTD, my brother and I decided to buy Joe’s. The restaurant is going on 23 years, and we have owned it for 7 years now. I love giving back to our community we regularly donate to churches and schools near us. I love the restaurant industry, and while covid hurt us bad we made it through and will continue to keep our doors open and serve great italian food!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have been working in some manner my whole life, i served tables to pay my way through college. Working long hours used to be a lot easier the first couple years we took over. The 70 hour weeks start to catch up with you as you get older, but still enjoyable! The past couple of years has been more difficult due to food costs still rising, along with employee costs, the margins in the restaurant are getting killed. Currently were having to do different avenues for marketing to try and get new people into our place.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Joe’s has been open for 23 years! I run the day to day operations and manage the front of the house. Joe’s Pasta-N-Pizza is a family-owned Italian restaurant in Plano, TX, serving authentic New York style pizza and classic Italian cuisine since day one. We hand-toss every pizza, make our sauces in-house, and take pride in recipes built on quality ingredients and old-world tradition. From our signature Joe’s Special pizza and creamy Tortellini to fan-favorite Chicken Carciofi and Lobster Ravioli, there’s something on every table worth coming back for. We offer dine-in, takeout, delivery, catering, and a private party room for groups of all sizes. I am proud of the level of service we offer, all of our staff will treat you like you are family.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Try our food out by calling 972-527-2002 either myself or my brother are bound to answer. We would love the chance to earn your business, and appreciate all the support!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://myjoes.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joespastanpizza/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joespastanpizzaplano/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/joes-pasta-n-pizza-plano-2?osq=joes+pasta
