Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 15, 2026) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leading consolidator of emerging restaurant brands, is pleased to announce that Heal Wellness ("Heal") has entered into a multi-unit franchise development agreement that will see forty-five (45) opened and operating locations across Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba within the next three (3) years. The agreement is being led by Alex Rechichi, David Lamph, Randall Papineau, and Heal Co-Founder Jesse Davidson, in partnership with Bedford Park Capital, Jordan Zinberg, Todd Zeligman, and Simon Akit, bringing together an outstanding partnership group.

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The agreement outlines a progressive rollout for the 45-location commitment over the next three (3) years spanning the provinces of Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The development initiative is funded by Bedford Park Capital, an award-winning investment firm based in Toronto. 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.

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"This is the largest multi-unit development deal I have ever done in my career. No deal during my time at Extreme Brandz, Crave It Restaurant Group, or MTY Group has ever compared to a deal like this. This development agreement marks a pivotal moment in Heal's history as we expand deeper across Canada," said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly Food Group. "We could not ask for a better partner than Alex to lead this market expansion. Alex has built brands from the ground up into hundreds of locations globally, and watching his group begin with a 45-unit commitment for Heal represents a tremendous first step. Importantly, this agreement includes development across Manitoba and Saskatchewan, two provinces where Heal has yet to establish a presence. This agreement significantly accelerates our entry into these new markets."

"Expansion into these provinces, alongside our established footprint across other provinces, strengthens our capacity to capture additional market share and further solidify our position as Canada's leading açaí bowl brand. Alex has a long track record of building and scaling franchise systems, and his decision to step down from the Board to lead this development group underscores his belief in the Heal brand, his commitment to Happy Belly, and his commitment to driving long-term value creation for our shareholders. This is a win-win-win type of deal."

"I have long admired the Heal brand since discovering its original location in Hamilton," said Alex Rechichi. "The opportunity to partner with such an experienced team and help lead Heal's national expansion as a franchisee is one I could not pass up. I would like to thank Simon Akit for advising on the deal and bringing the funding group together. As a loyal customer Simon quickly developed a strong connection to the brand, and the addition of Jordan Zinberg and Todd Zeligman from Bedford Park Capital helped bring the final pieces into place."

"I am stepping down from the Board of Happy Belly Food Group to lead this franchisee group on a full-time basis and execute the 45-unit growth plan successfully," added Alex Rechichi. "Our focus will be on protecting unit economics, building strong teams, and securing prime real estate in each market. I look forward to working closely with Sean Black and Happy Belly's franchising, real estate, and operations teams to accelerate Heal's expansion. I remain a significant and supportive shareholder of Happy Belly Food Group and am fully committed to the Company's continued growth across Canada."

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Happy Belly Food Group Inc. announces that Alex Rechichi has resigned from the Company's Board of Directors. The Board has appointed Sean Black as Chairman of the Board, effective immediately. Furthermore, Randall Papineau will transition from Chief Restaurant Officer to Executive Advisor of Brand Development & Growth. Randall will support Alex and Bedford Capital, alongside our largest multi-unit GTA franchisee David Lamph, who brings hands on Heal Wellness operational experience to the group.

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 42 locations open and more than 166 in development, Heal contributes to Happy Belly's broader portfolio of 686 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 Bedford Park Capital
Founded in 2017, Bedford Park Capital is an award-winning Toronto-based investment firm focused on generating strong long-term investment performance through a disciplined and concentrated approach. The firm's principals have extensive experience investing across the capital structure in both public and private markets. Bedford Park invests primarily in high-quality Canadian small and mid-cap companies, with a focus on businesses demonstrating strong returns on equity, sustainable growth, attractive valuations, and aligned management teams.

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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