NoCo History: Loveland Cleaners Used to be About Pizza and Ice Cream

Having grown up in Loveland, I can tell you many stories. One is about how there's this dry cleaner on the spot where we used to have a blast as kids.

When I was a kid growing up in the Sweetheart City, there was this really fun place to get pizza AND ice cream.

Happy Joe's.

It was at the corner of 7th and Lincoln where Van's Cleaners is now.

I can't tell you how long Van's has been there, it seems like forever. But I do remember many birthday parties at Happy Joe's in my 'younger years.' I have an old buddy who still tells the story of Happy Joe's giving him his first job and breaking his wrist in the big dough mixer.

Happy Joe's was started by a man who used to work for Shakey's, which also used to be all over, it seemed, but are now only on the west coast.

Happy Joe's does still exist, but only in the mid-west. The one in North Dakota would be the closest to Loveland.

Looking at this commercial below, I'm reminded of how they used to [do] wear referee stuff.

How many folks do you think have gone into Van's to get pizza stains off their clothes?