Happy Belly Food Groups Heal Wellness QSR Signs 40-Unit Area Development Agreement for the Province of Quebec
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 19, 2025) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leader in acquiring and scaling emerging food brands across Canada is pleased to announce it has signed as of June 18 th, an area development agreement for the province of Quebec for the opening of 40 franchised restaurants of Heal Wellness ("Heal"), a quick-service restaurant ("QSR") specializing in fresh smoothie bowls, açaí bowls, and smoothies.
Happy Belly 1
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"Heal Wellness is quickly establishing a national presence and leading the accelerated growth of Happy Belly's portfolio of emerging brands. Today's announcement represents a significant milestone for both Heal and Happy Belly Food Group. Expanding into Quebec with a second brand highlights our ability to grow brands on a national scale, as Heal will now operate in its 9th province across Canada. With this progress, Heal's total contractually committed units have reached 180 across Canada and the U.S.," said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly."
"With no clear category leader in the province of Quebec, the open ice opportunity before us is significant and one we were eager to capitalize on with our first mover advantage. Today's announcement underscores the strong and growing demand for Heal Wellness nationwide, making it a natural fit to align with our existing Quebec-based area developer partners-the same team leading the rollout of our Yolks Breakfast brand in the province. Our partners see the rising appetite for Heal's clean smoothies, acai bowls, and smoothie bowls, and are excited about introducing the brand to this new market. With more than 22 years of experience successfully launching and supporting both corporate and franchised operations across multiple brands, their expertise will play a critical role in ensuring Heal's success in Quebec. Partnering with a proven Quebec-based team provides us boots on the ground and further strengthens Happy Belly's presence in the province, as we continue to expand the footprint of both Yolks and Heal in our accelerated national franchising.
"With 591 retail franchise locations contractually committed-covering sites in planning, construction, and operation-we are steadily expanding our pipeline into 2025 and 2026 by partnering with the right operators and securing prime locations. Our asset-light franchise model remains central to our growth strategy, enabling us to drive disciplined organic expansion while maximizing asset value. This approach positions Happy Belly for a strong and sustainable future, delivering long-term value for our shareholders."
We are just getting started.
About Heal Wellness
Heal Wellness was founded with a passion and mission to provide quick, fresh wellness foods that support a busy and active lifestyle. We currently offer a diverse range of smoothie bowls and smoothies. We take pride in meticulously selecting every superfood ingredient on our menu to fuel the body, including acai smoothie bowls, smoothies, and super-seed grain bowls. Our smoothie bowls are crafted with real fruit and enriched with superfoods like acai, pitaya, goji berries, chia seeds, and more.
Franchising
For franchising inquiries please see www.happybellyfg.com/franchise-with-us/ or contact us at hello@happybellyfg.com.
Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company") is a leader in acquiring and scaling emerging food brands across Canada.
Happy Belly 2
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Sean Black
Chief Executive Officer
Shawn Moniz
Chief Operating Officer
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release, which has been prepared by management.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-Looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur and include the future performance of Happy Belly and her subsidiaries. Forward-Looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the business plans for Happy Belly described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are posted on www.sedarplus.ca.
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