Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 13, 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 further to its news release on June 15th announcing the signing of the largest Multi-Unit Franchise Agreement to date for 45 Locations Led by Alex Rechichi and Bedford Park Capital for Heal Wellness, the franchise group has now secured a real-estate location in Toronto's Leaside neighborhood, at the prominent intersection of Eglinton Avenue East and Laird Drive, as they accelerate their openings through the remainder of 2026 and 2027. Heal Wellness ("Heal") 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.

Happy Belly 1

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Toronto's Leaside neighborhood is one of the city's most established and sought-after urban communities, anchored by a dense residential population, strong household incomes, and a dynamic mix of families, professionals, and students. Situated at the prominent intersection of Eglinton Avenue East and Laird Drive, the location benefits from exceptional visibility, high daily traffic, major national retailers, office employment, and continued investment through the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. Together, these attributes create an ideal environment for Heal's fresh smoothie bowls, açaí bowls, and clean-ingredient smoothies, serving consumers seeking convenient, health-forward meal options throughout the day.

"Securing a real estate location in Toronto's Leaside neighborhood for one of our multi-unit franchisees is an important step in Heal's disciplined, asset-light expansion strategy," said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly Food Group. "Our strategy is to partner with experienced franchisees and secure premier locations that can deliver sustainable, long-term growth. Leaside checks every box, from its strong demographics and established retail ecosystem to its exceptional accessibility and growing transit connectivity. This is exactly the type of market where Heal's premium wellness-focused offering can become part of customers' daily routines, and we're excited to continue building our presence across the Greater Toronto Area."

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"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 44 locations now open and more than 164 in development, Heal remains a key driver of growth within Happy Belly's broader portfolio of 686 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.

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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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