Two “Happy Buddhas” Eyeing September Opening for New Restaurant

A long vacant bay in the Twin Creek area has been under construction all summer with its new tenants, John Stevens and Jacob Betsworth, looking to open their restaurant Happy Buddha’s Asian Cuisine by the end of September. The bay was the location of the Bellevue Sam & Louie’s Pizzeria franchise for years. Most recently it was a Frank’s Pizza expansion location. That Frank’s Pizza closed in 2018 and the bay has been dormant since.

If the name John Stevens rings a bell, it may be because he was co-owner of the popular Bellevue restaurant Golden Bowl. Stevens and his new business partner Betsworth, are very excited about the possibilities the new space will bring.

According to Stevens and Betsworth, Happy Buddhas will be serving traditional Asian dishes with Barbecue fusion, using the highest quality ingredients. Everything will be made fresh daily.

Stevens has been know in the past as offering some of the best delivery in the area. Now that they will be operating out of the Twin Creek area, plans are to deliver to all of Bellevue and also eastern Papillion to 84th street.

Both Stvens and Betsworth both have backgrounds in the food industry. Stevens has worked in restaurants for the past 20+ years including long stints at Casico’s Steakhouse and House of Hunan. His experiences led him to open Golden Bowl in Bellevue 8 years ago. Betsworth has competed for several years in the SCA (Steak Cookoff Association) and Kansas City BBQ competitions.

Working together as business partners, Stevens and Betsworth plan to offer specials often. They talked about an experimental Brisket Fried Rice they sold once a few years ago. They weren’t sure how it would go, but the entire supply sold out in less than an hour.

Clearly not afraid to try new things, Stevens and Betsworth are looking forward to the unlimited possibilities and combinations of unique foods they plan to offer.

Happy Buddhas will be a casual dining experience. Customers will order at the counter and the food will be brought out to them. They discussed their Quick Serve model as being great for lunch, especially for military and law enforcement members of the community who may not have much time for a lunch break.

While on the subject of law enforcement Betsworth, who spent a long part of his career with Sarpy County Law Enforcement, said that Happy Buddhas is very supportive of all military and law enforcement and they will offer discounts to law enforcement and military personnel. Betsworth also mentioned their support of local schools.

Stevens and Betsworth also mentioned their ability to “cater to the customer” with many special dietary restrictions or special needs. Stevens was known to puree food for kids with special needs who have chewing, eating, or swallowing difficulties. They plan to continue to help those with special needs at Happy Buddhas. They also mentioned they will have a kid’s menu available for little ones who just want chicken strips or similar items.

So, how did they come up with the name Happy Buddhas? “Just look at us,” Stevens laughed.

An announcement will be made when a definite opening date is announced. Once open, Happy Buddhas days and hours of operation will be Tuesday through Sunday from 11am-9pm.