Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 20, 2026) - 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 the grand opening of its newest Heal Wellness ("Heal") location at 3777 Strandherd Drive, located in Barrhaven Town Centre in Ottawa, Canada. Heal Wellness is a fast-growing quick-service restaurant ("QSR") brand specializing in fresh smoothie bowls, açaí bowls, and smoothies, built around clean ingredients and a better-for-you lifestyle. The Barrhaven location is owned and operated by an experienced multi-unit, multi-branded franchisee within Happy Belly's growing portfolio of emerging restaurant brands.

Happy Belly 1

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"Opening in Barrhaven marks an important milestone for Heal as we continue to expand into strong suburban markets supported by growing populations, active lifestyles, and consistent daily traffic," said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly Food Group. "This location is especially meaningful as it is being opened by an experienced multi-unit, multi-branded franchisee within the Happy Belly ecosystem. That continued commitment across our portfolio is a strong reflection of the confidence our franchise partners have in our brands, our operating model, and our ability to help them scale successfully."

Happy Belly 2

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Located in the heart of Barrhaven Town Centre, this Heal restaurant benefits from a high-traffic retail corridor in one of Ottawa's fastest-growing and most family-oriented communities. With strong surrounding residential density, complementary retail anchors, and a demographic profile aligned with clean, convenient, wellness-focused food, the new location is well positioned to build repeat visitation throughout the day from families, students, professionals, and health-conscious consumers. The opening further strengthens Happy Belly's presence in the Ottawa market and reinforces Barrhaven as an attractive trade area for the Company's portfolio of brands.

"Our strategy continues to focus on disciplined expansion with the right franchise partners in the right locations," added Sean Black. "We are proud to partner with operators who understand their local markets and who are choosing to grow with multiple Happy Belly brands. That is a powerful endorsement of the platform we are building. Heal continues to gain momentum as consumers seek fresh, functional, grab-and-go offerings that fit into busy everyday routines."

"Heal Wellness continues to expand rapidly across Canada and into the United States, solidifying its position as a leading acai and smoothie bowl brand," said Sean Black. "With 34 locations now open and more than 174 in development, Heal remains a key driver of growth within Happy Belly's broader portfolio of 666 contractually committed retail franchise locations across multiple emerging brands in various stages of development, construction, and operation. We continue to build a predictable and disciplined growth engine designed to create long-term shareholder value."

"We are just getting started", said Sean Black.

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.

About Happy Belly Food Group
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 Food Group

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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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