Mr. Sean Black reports

HAPPY BELLY FOOD GROUP'S VIA CIBO SIGNS FRANCHISE AGREEMENT FOR KINGSTON, ONTARIO

Happy Belly Food Group Inc. has signed a franchise agreement for the city of Kingston, Ont., for a new Via Cibo Italian Street Food restaurant, serving fast-casual Italian cuisine crafted with the finest traditional ingredients while delivering a chef-driven dining experience cente]red on fresh, authentic flavour. This Kingston location marks another strategic expansion for Via Cibo as the brand continues to grow across Ontario through its disciplined, asset-light franchising model.

"Via Cibo is entering its next phase of accelerated growth. With five locations already operating in Alberta and three in Ontario, the signing of this franchise agreement for Kingston, Ont., represents another meaningful step in Via Cibo's continued expansion across one of Canada's strongest growth corridors," said Sean Black, chief executive officer of Happy Belly. "Kingston is one of Ontario's most established and resilient regional markets, supported by a diverse economy, a growing population, strong tourism and a significant postsecondary student base. These characteristics make Kingston an outstanding market for Via Cibo's fresh, chef-inspired Italian street food concept.

"Our franchise partners continue to recognize the strength of Happy Belly's scalable operating platform and disciplined growth strategy. We look forward to working closely with our newest franchisee as we introduce Via Cibo to the community and continue expanding our presence throughout Ontario."

Kingston is one of Eastern Ontario's premier regional centres, serving as the economic, educational, health care and tourism hub for a large surrounding trade area. Home to more than 140,000 residents, Queen's University, St. Lawrence College, Canadian Forces Base Kingston and a thriving downtown waterfront, the city benefits from year-round consumer activity driven by students, professionals, military personnel, health care workers and visitors. Its strategic location along Highway 401 between Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, combined with continued residential and commercial growth, provides an ideal environment for Via Cibo's premium fast-casual Italian dining experience and long-term franchise success.

"Every new franchise agreement further validates the strength of our brand portfolio and our ability to attract experienced entrepreneurs seeking scalable restaurant opportunities," added Mr. Black. "Our franchise development pipeline continues to expand as we execute on our strategy of growing great brands with great operators."

With eight locations currently open and more than 23 secured under area development agreements across key Canadian markets, Via Cibo 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 create long-term value for our shareholders.

"We are just getting started," added Mr. Black.

About Via Cibo

Via Cibo, an all-franchised system, is an asset-light entity with established street-front real estate locations in both Ontario and Alberta. Authentic Italian Street food, made with the best traditional ingredients for those looking for fast, fresh food that respects tradition via a chef driven full-service restaurant without the full service. At Via Cibo you can enjoy an authentic Italian meal that does not require hours of your time or a great amount of money. Via Cibo is a fast-casual restaurant which offers an experience tailored to your needs. Order from one of the company's greeters and its servers deliver your fresh authentic dishes to your table in under 10 minutes. Via Cibo is the Italian food Italians talk about. The company's kitchen is open, smell the food, watch the cooks, have a bite with friends and share in our love for food!

About Happy Belly Food Group Inc.

Happy Belly Food Group is a leader in acquiring and scaling emerging food brands. The company's portfolio includes Heal Wellness, Rosie's Burgers, Yolks Breakfast, Via Cibo Italian Street Food and others.

We seek Safe Harbor.