 | |
| Industry | Roadside restaurant chain |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1973 |
| Founder | Sir Michael Pickard |
| Defunct | 1997 |
| Fate | Merged into Little Chef |
| Owner | Kout Food Group K.S.C.C. (trademarks) |
Happy Eater was a chain of restaurants in England and Wales. Founded by Sir Michael Pickard in 1973, the chain wanted to compete against the British roadside restaurant category killer at the time, Little Chef. The chain was acquired by Little Chef's parent company, Trusthouse Forte, in 1986. In 1996, Granada purchased Trusthouse Forte, which led to a streamlining programme converting all Happy Eater sites to the Little Chef fascia by 1997.