Mankato, Minnesota: Last Happy Chef
Last survivor of an iconic franchise roadside eatery, this is the only remaining Happy Chef restaurant with a talking, spoon-hoisting Happy Chef statue. 36 feet tall, counting the spoon.
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The odd thing about the Happy Chef is that he is actually kind of sad. You press a button and he speaks (or, rather, a recording plays) and talks about how lonely and cold he is standing outside in the wind. Jeez, Happy Chef, you're bringing me down, man.
[Jenny Allan, 12/20/2013]
According to the people at Happy Chef HQ, Mankato is the last remaining Happy Chef location with a statue. As I have long kept a "No Statue, No Stop" policy with this chain, I made a stop last summer for some fries, and took some creepy nighttime Chef photos. Hopefully this Chef will remain standing, as their empire has fallen quickly in the past few years...
[luther rochester, 01/04/2004]Other Happy Chef statues have disappeared, even though a handful of restaurants continue under the HC banner. While a few statues have moved on to new careers, many have been lost or destroyed...
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Last Happy Chef
Happy Chef Restaurant
- Address:
- 51646 US-169, Mankato, MN
- Directions:
- Happy Chef Restaurant. Just north of the interchange of US Hwy 14 and US Hwy 169, on the west side of US Hwy 169.
- Phone:
- 507-345-4571
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
Nearby Offbeat Places
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With only one talking Happy Chef survivor, you'd think the chain would be more attentive to what he has to say. Maybe the recording was made by the store manager during a snowbound lull in business.