Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2026) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leader in acquiring and scaling emerging food brands is pleased to announce the grand opening of Heal Wellness' first location in Quebec, located at 6985 Boulevard, Décarie, Montréal, this Saturday April 18^th, 2026. Heal Wellness ("Heal") is a quick-service restaurant ("QSR") brand specializing in fresh smoothie bowls, açaí bowls, and smoothies.

Happy Belly 1

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This grand opening marks a significant milestone for the Company, as Heal Wellness becomes Happy Belly's third operating brand in the province of Quebec, joining Rosie's Burgers and Yolks Breakfast in expanding the Company's growing footprint in the region.

"The grand opening of our first Heal Wellness location in Quebec represents an exciting step forward in our North American expansion strategy," said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly. "As a key market for us, establishing Heal alongside our existing Quebec brands demonstrates our ability to successfully scale multiple concepts within the province. With experienced local operators and growing demand for fresh, wellness-focused food options, we are building a strong foundation for continued growth and reinforcing our broader strategy of expanding high-quality restaurant brands across Canada."

"By working with area developers who possess deep local expertise, we are positioning Heal for long-term success in the province. Today's announcement is not only validation of our growth model, but also another step toward realizing our vision of making Heal Wellness North America's leading smoothie bowl chain, measured both by scale and strong unit economics."

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"Heal Wellness continues to expand rapidly across Canada and into the United States, solidifying its position as a leading açaí and smoothie bowl brand. With 37 locations now open and more than 171 in development, Heal contributes to Happy Belly's broader portfolio of 666 contractually committed retail franchise locations across multiple emerging brands in various stages of development, construction, and operation. Our predictable and disciplined growth engine continues to deliver measurable results as we expand our brands across Canada and the U.S. to create long-term value for our shareholders."

"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.

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Sean Black
Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer

Shawn Moniz
Co-founder, President

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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