Happy Humphrey’s

2176 North Cedar Street, Holt, Michigan

Status: Still Standing

Opened: Circa 1940

Architect: Unknown

The small yellow glazed brick commercial building at 2175 North Cedar Street is believed to have been built around 1940. It has an early affiliation with Tom Hayes and Orlo Weymouth. The partners apparently just got the doors open on what was to be a restaurant when they ran out of money and were forced to sell, according to Weymouth's son.

Sometime around 1946 or so, Happy and Martha Humphrey opened Happy Humphrey's Dairy Bar which evolved into more of a traditional restaurant and grill later on. The restaurant lasted through at least the 1960s, likely a bit longer. Mrs. Humphrey was active in local politics for many years into the 1970s.

Since the 1990s, the Humphrey's Dairy Bar building had been occupied by a tattoo shop, once called Living Art Tattoo, founded in 1996 and owned by Kitty Dowding. 

Happy’s Motel - This restaurant building predates the motel which was built behind it in the 1940s and was jointly operated as Happy Humphrey's for years. A Humphrey family member still owned and ran the motel in the 1980s. The motel carried on and retained the Happy’s name until 2019, when it was sold and demolished. The quaint restaurant building remains.