New pizza store shares food with homeless shelter

A pizza store new to Dayton is giving back to the community.

Happy’s Pizza, located at 2804 Salem Ave., gave away more than $2,000 worth of food to local homeless shelters on Thanksgiving eve.

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Waleed Fadheel, a Detroit native, opened the store just three months ago. Fadheel donated $500 worth of Happy’s pizza, chicken and side items to the St. Vincent de Paul Gateway Shelter for Men, and $1,500 worth of catered food to the St. Vincent de Paul Gateway Shelter for Women and Families in Dayton.

“I have always felt if we are given a gift, we need to share it,” Fadheel said. “If anyone walks into my store and says they are hungry and need help, we give them a meal and a drink – no questions asked.”

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Fadheel and his team at Happy’s plan to host another dinner and party at the Gateway Shelter for Women and Families on Christmas Eve.

The first Happy’s Pizza opened in 1996 on Detroit’s Northeast side on a busy corner and quickly became known for not only its pizza, but also its barbecue ribs, fried chicken and seafood. Happy’s Pizza now operates restaurants in Indiana, Ohio, California and Nevada.

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