Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 14, 2025) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leading consolidator of emerging food brands is pleased to announce the opening of its newest Heal Wellness ("Heal"), a fresh smoothie bowls, acai bowls, and smoothies quick serve restaurant ("QSR") ideally located in the North York region of Toronto's affluent neighborhood Avenue & Lawrence at 1819 Avenue Rd, Ontario, Friday March 14th. Their grand opening will be held on Saturday March 15th, 2025.
"I would like to congratulate David, our existing multi-unit 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 Ave W, our franchisee has now opened his third location at 1819 Avenue Road," 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, 5 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.
We are just getting started.
Neighborhood We anticipate that this location will extend Heal's customer base in a densely populated area that aligns well with the brand's demographics. This presents us with substantial opportunities both in-store and through delivery services. Toronto continues to grow at an impressive rate and promotes home grown businesses making it an ideal location for our 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 like 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. 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.
About Happy Belly Food Group Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company") is a leading consolidator of emerging food brands.
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.
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.
