About Happy Days Restaurant retro diner & burgers in Nyon

idea generation

Here’s how it all began.

The idea for Happy Days was born after several trips abroad, where the breakfast culture and diversity of recipes had a profound effect on me. Among these discoveries, the pancake was a real favorite. After many trials in the kitchen, the desire to turn it into a concept was obvious.

In 2008, determined to create a place dedicated to breakfast, I spent two months immersed in the French-speaking world, perfecting my recipes, observing working methods and understanding what made these establishments so warm and friendly. Back in Switzerland, the idea of a retro, 50s-inspired space was born: a unique space in French-speaking Switzerland, with a distinct vintage charm, to be known as Happy Days.

This first breakfast adventure laid the foundations for the Happy Days identity: a retro atmosphere, a warm welcome and simple, generous cuisine.

The breakfast offer will come to an end in June 2025, giving way to the natural evolution of Happy Days towards its current activities: the restaurant in Nyon and the Happy Trucks on the region’s roads.

it all began in Versoix in 2009

Born in Versoix in 2009, the establishment quickly made a name for itself thanks to its unique retro ambience. Local and international customers soon flocked to the restaurant, and growing demand prompted the team to expand the menu. Burgers quickly took center stage, and today remain one of Happy Days’ signature dishes.

Over the years, Sundays have become our busiest day: families, groups and regulars come to enjoy the warm, relaxed atmosphere.

The décor is an integral part of the experience: vinyl seats, black-and-white checkerboard tiles, vintage posters, photos of actors from the ’50s and a bar decorated with authentic license plates from various states. This retro style regularly attracts producers, videographers and photographers. Several film shoots have already taken place here, notably for Alain Morisod’s “Coups de Cœur” TV show.

Now based in Nyon, Happy Days continues to offer a gourmet, immersive experience, true to the diner spirit, with burgers prepared with local ingredients and a 50’s ambience unique to the region.

10 years later

In 2009, Happy Days was launched in Versoix and quickly became a real success, thanks to its 50s-inspired retro ambience. Buoyed by this success, the team developed the concept further, eventually relocating the main activity to Nyon, in order to offer a larger, more authentic space even better suited to the desired experience.

In Nyon, everything has been redesigned to enhance immersion: vintage items sourced from collectors, antique license plates, vintage Coca-Cola dispensers, illuminated signs and restored public telephones. Every element of the decor has been chosen to create a unique place in the region, faithful to the 50s spirit and designed to welcome regulars and families alike.

Nyon’s Happy Days has quickly become a must for lovers of burgers, retro décor and immersive atmospheres. The place also attracts image professionals: photo shoots, music videos and film shoots find an ideal setting here, including several sequences filmed for Alain Morisod’s “Coups de Cœur” TV show.

Today, Happy Days continues to refine its identity around a warm atmosphere, local ingredients and a meticulous décor that instantly transports you to another time.

And now in 2025

After fifteen years in business, the desire to broaden the horizons of Happy Days was obvious. The need to reach out directly to villages, businesses, individuals and festival-goers became obvious. This evolution marked an important step: refocusing activity around the Nyon restaurant – still open and at the heart of the concept – while developing a mobile presence to reach out to the public.

Two food trucks in the retro Happy Days style and colors were born. With a motivated team, the concept naturally expanded: meticulous cuisine, local ingredients, 50s style and Happy Days conviviality, but now also available in village squares, at private events or in the heart of festivals.

This nomadic adventure doesn’t replace the restaurant: it complements it. It takes the Happy Days universe on the road, reinforcing the bond with the community and offering the same gourmet experience to an even wider audience.

Press & media

Newspaper article FEMINA 2011?

Article published in 2011 in Femina magazine, looking back at the birth of Happy Days in its early days. A look back at the early years of the concept, before its evolution in Nyon and the arrival of the Happy Trucks that are now part of the Happy Days identity.

Newspaper article La Côte 2019

Here’s an article from La Côte announcing the opening of Happy Days in Nyon. He presented the restaurant’s concept, its 50s-inspired retro ambience and the arrival of a new burger joint in the Nyon area. An archive that traces an important stage in the history of Happy Days and the development of the local gastronomic scene.