Mr. Sean Black reports

HAPPY BELLY'S HEAL WELLNESS QSR ANNOUNCES MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE OPENS THIRD LOCATION IN TORONTO, ONTARIO

Happy Belly Food Group Inc. opened its newest Heal Wellness, a quick-serve restaurant (QSR) offering fresh smoothie bowls, acai bowls and smoothies, ideally located in the North York region of Toronto's affluent neighbourhood Avenue and Lawrence, at 1819 Avenue Rd., Ontario, on Friday, March 14, 2025. Its grand opening will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2025.

"I would like to congratulate David, our existing multiunit franchisee in Toronto. It is a strong statement for the brand and the team when an existing franchisee commits to opening a third location in a year. Following his success with Heal in The Beaches and at Philosophy Fitness on St. Clair Avenue West, our franchisee has now opened his third location at 1819 Avenue Rd.," said Sean Black, chief executive officer of Happy Belly.

"Each new opening in 2025 continues our expansion across Canada as Heal is now experiencing hockey stick growth, with our first-mover advantage beginning to deliver strong results. This is the 10th Heal Wellness store to open in Ontario, bringing our total to 17 locations system wide, with several more currently under construction across Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario. The pace of growth for our brands has been accelerating, and, with a contractual commitment for 130 Heal units, we are witnessing increased franchise interest across the country -- from both franchisees and landlords -- setting the stage for steady predictable growth.

"As we progress into 2025, our priority remains accelerating both organic and inorganic growth. currently, five of our QSR brands are under construction across Canada, and we anticipate announcing additional developments throughout the year as we secure new franchise agreements and prime real estate nationwide. This marks another step forward in our mission to become a predictable and disciplined growth company. Happy Belly now boasts 521 contractually committed retail franchise locations across our emerging brands -- whether in development, under construction or already open. We are diligently expanding this pipeline throughout 2025 and 2026 with our disciplined approach to growth. Continuously selecting the right franchise partners and optimal real estate remains key to achieving our brands' development goals.

"Our vision remains clear -- to establish Heal Wellness as the leading acai bowl and smoothie brand in Canada."

Neighbourhood

Happy Belly anticipates that this location will extend Heal's customer base in a densely populated area that aligns well with the brand's demographics. This presents Happy Belly with substantial opportunities both in-store and through delivery services. Toronto continues to grow at an impressive rate and promotes homegrown businesses making it an ideal location for Happy Belly's brands to increase their market share in. Toronto has a thriving health-conscious culture and vibrant food scene. As a city where wellness trends are highly popular, there's a growing demand for nutritious, fresh and innovative food options. The city's growing population and active lifestyle culture create a strong market demand for nutritious and convenient food options such as acai bowls and smoothies.

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. Heal Wellness currently offers a diverse range of smoothie bowls and smoothies. Heal Wellness takes pride in meticulously selecting every superfood ingredient on its menu to fuel the body, including acai smoothie bowls, smoothies and superseed grain bowls. Heal Wellness's smoothie bowls are crafted with real fruit and enriched with superfoods such as acai, pitaya, goji berries, chia seeds and more.

Franchising

For franchising inquiries, please see Happy Belly's website or contact the company at hello@happybellyfg.com.

About Happy Belly Food Group Inc.

Happy Belly Food Group is a leading consolidator of emerging food brands.

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