A Getaway for Your Tastebuds, by Way of Mexico

What a long, flavorful trip it’s been for Happy’s Taco Shop

By Geri Dietze | Jan. 13, 2024

Traverse City foodies probably know that Happy’s Taco Shop recently vacated its long-term berth (since 2015) at The Little Fleet to concentrate on its Petoskey and Boyne City operations. Happy’s is a fixture at The Back Lot in Petoskey, Boyne Mountain in Boyne Falls, and Happy’s Headquarters, located just outside of Boyne City.

Northern Express followed them north to get the story on their 10-year anniversary, their modus operandi in the world of tacos, plus a hint at their future plans.

The Authentic Beginnings

First, a quick recap. Drake Nagel of Ellsworth and Drue Wright of Boyne City both graduated from Northern Michigan University in 2012. By the end of 2013, they had combined their degrees—Nagel’s in design, and Wright’s in entrepreneurship—with Nagel’s restaurant experience and Wright’s tenure in snowboard industry customer service into a viable business model.

They set out to create a good product and a friendly vibe with the help of a used step van. That good product was, of course, a taco. The Mexican tortilla, flour or corn, has become the vehicle of choice for creative chefs with international tastes, and the fillings have evolved far beyond the traditional Mexican staples. Yes, Happy’s is a Mexican taco purveyor, but its influences include the flavors of China, Korea, Tex-Mex, and pretty much anything the chef desires.

The folks at Happy’s just want to be “authentically ourselves.” But it is fitting that the tortilla has now proven itself as the perfect starting point for a broader experience, and we have proof: “[The taco] is a reflection of time and place,” says taco editor Jose Ralat of Texas Monthly. (You know the taco has arrived when it gets its own editor.)

Happy’s caught on quickly thanks to a winter gig at Boyne Mountain, plus other venues like the Boyne City Farmers Market. It didn’t take long for recognition to come from outside of northern Michigan: In 2014, Happy’s Tacos made it onto the nationwide list of the top 15 food truck entrepreneurs by Mobile Cuisine, a food industry resource for the culinary profession.

That was just the beginning, but the accolades were never the goal for Happy’s.

“We have been nominated and [have] won a few awards…” explains Wright. “Although we appreciate the praise, we try not to focus too hard on contests.” He adds, “We get a better sense of accomplishment from the day-to-day feedback…from our fans and our team members.”

The Location Changes

Ten years on, and Happy’s has built those fans across northern Michigan, and they perhaps saw the majority of them during their eight-year tenure at The Little Fleet.

Nagel says that while it was bittersweet to leave their customers in Traverse City, “the next logical step” for the business was to focus on expanding operations above the 45th parallel.

In Petoskey, Happy’s Taco Shop operates out of a refurbished shipping container located at The Back Lot, the year-round, pet-friendly venue with five food trucks and two bars. On a Saturday in the off-season, they serve around 200 patrons, twice that in the summer.

You can also find a Happy’s truck at Boyne Mountain, parked at the base of the Express lift throughout the ski season.

“The winter season didn’t show up right away,” Wright notes, “but it’s pretty on par with what it’s been in the past couple years.” He says that between the holidays and more ski tourists heading Up North, “it’s busy out there” at the slopeside truck.

Once the snow melts, Happy’s Headquarters in Boyne City, where all food is prepared, will serve lunch and dinner spring through fall from their food truck adjacent to the brightly colored outdoor dining area fashioned to match the Happy’s brand.

The Business Commitments

Though they’ve gone from farmers markets to food truck lots and just about everywhere in between, the foundation of Happy’s—Wright and Nagel—has held steady. What do they think makes a good business relationship?

With these two, it involves friendship, trust, and a commitment to both the business and to their communities. “Drue and I were about 24 when we started Happy’s. I think the business [grew] as we [grew] as people,” explains Nagel.

And do they feel like, at this 10-year mark, that they’ve “made it” in the restaurant business? “To be honest, I don’t know if I will ever want to feel that moment,” Wright says. “Happy’s has always been about innovation and pushing the envelope. Maybe we’ll say ‘we made it’ when we retire.”

Today, Nagel and Wright are able to focus more on the business end and leave the driving up to someone else. Wright handles human resources and bookkeeping, plus project development and the occasional situation requiring hammer and nails. Nagel runs the kitchen, creates the menu, handles tech, and designs the merch and signage. They work together on “big picture ideas,” concerning the look and feel of the business.

“We both like things to look and feel special and maybe a bit out of the ordinary,” Nagel says. “I think [that playing] such different roles in the business is a cool thing,” he adds. “You have to…trust…the other person and their expertise and vision.”

And, their trust in their employees—16 in the winter, double that in the summer—is evident in that they now offer health insurance and retirement plans. “We want Happy’s to be a career option for people, not just a stepping stone to the next job, as many restaurants are. We have awesome employees and some that have been with us for over seven years; we want to keep them around,” says Wright.

The Menu Evolutions

While many of the faces at the counter are the same, none of Happy’s original items from a decade ago remain on the menu. (Though old favorites might surface now and then, with some flavor updates.)

“I’m a better [chef] than I was a decade ago,” Nagel reasons. “Change is good.”

Look for fresh and innovative variations, like the Crispy Shrimp taco with green curry mayo, red chili jam, cabbage, and fried shallot; or the Spicy Pork version with Napa cabbage kimchi, ssamjang glaze (spicy Korean paste), and togarashi (Japanese 7 spice). And you don’t have to be vegan to fall for the Smoked Potato Taco with chile sour cream, pickled veggies, and pepita crunch. (Indeed, Nagel advises, “Don’t sleep on the Smoked Potato Taco.”)

The biggest seller is the Super Burrito, with a choice of roasted pork, smoked potato, shrimp, griddled kimchi, or pinto beans, with chihuahua cheese, salsa verde, chile sour cream, cabbage, and tortilla strips.

Weekly specials depend on whatever the staff feels like cooking. “Sometimes it’s an old favorite we’re bringing back; sometimes it’s something…that we feel like experimenting with,” Nagel says.

When Northern Express visited Happy’s Headquarters, Nagel was marinating a goat neck, butchered locally, which would be slow-roasted in mole sauce. But, if goat isn’t your thing, there is always a large and varied selection. (Some specials are truly limited edition, like the prized Fried Chicken Sandwich, served Wednesdays at The Back Lot, so prepare accordingly.)

Sauces are all house-made, and Nagel, the self-described “ranch freak,” has created a macha ranch, made with homemade salsa macha with dried chilies, roasted garlic, miso, olive oil, and sesame seeds, all mixed with mayo, traditional ranch spices, and a few ingredients which must remain a secret. “It all goes on our Crunchwrap Royale, and it is sublime,” he says. The Crunchwrap Royale offers a choice of pork, smoked potato, shrimp, kimchi, or pinto beans, with pickled veggies, tostada, lettuce, and chile jam, folded up and grilled in chihuahua cheese. Sublime sounds about right.

Expect everything to be fresh and locally or regionally sourced whenever possible. Sweet Grass Farm in Pickford is one of Happy’s favorites. “They raise all of our lamb for our Lamb Cheeseburger taco.” Nagel explains. “If there’s no Sweet Grass Lamb, there’s no Lamb Cheeseburger Taco.”

Their variety of chiles, cilantro, and other staples come from Daybreak Dreamfarm in East Jordan. According to Nagel, “This winter I’m excited to start working with Big Stone Bay [Fishery] out of Mackinaw City. They’re a local fish market getting fish out of our Great Lakes, and I’m excited to get some of their fish on our next menu.”

Find Happy’s at The Back Lot at 425 Michigan St. in Petoskey and their food truck at Boyne Mountain, Friday through Sunday, in Boyne Falls. happystacoshop.com

Photo by Michael Murphy IV Photography