Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 10, 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 grand opening of its newest Heal Wellness ("Heal"), a fresh smoothie bowls, acai bowls, and smoothies quick serve restaurant ("QSR") located at the University of Alberta, 8503 112 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, this Saturday, January 11th, 2025.
"We are happy to announce the opening of our newest Heal Wellness franchised location to kick off our expansion in 2025 across Canada," said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly. "This is the 6th Heal Wellness store to open in Western Canada, bringing our total to 15 locations in the system, with several more under construction across Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. The pace of growth for our brands has been accelerating, and with a contractual commitment for 100 Heal units in Canada and the US, we are just getting started."
"The grand opening will be held at 8503 112 Street NW, Edmonton. Each new store opening further extends Happy Belly's growing footprint. At present, five (5) of our QSR brands have locations actively under construction across Canada. We are excited to share more announcements throughout 2025 as we continue to sign franchise agreements and secure prime real estate locations for our franchisees nationwide."
"We currently have 421 contractually committed retail locations from area developers across all emerging brands in the Happy Belly Portfolio - whether in development, under construction, or already open. As we open new stores, the Happy Belly footprint continues to grow. Our team is committed to sourcing and evaluating real estate, reviewing franchisee applications, and collaborating closely with area developers to support our asset-light franchising model. At present, several of our restaurant brands are simultaneously under construction, and we are excited to announce openings throughout 2025-2026. By focusing on securing high-quality franchisees and prime real estate locations across Canada, we will further strengthen our expansion efforts."
"The rapid expansion of the Heal Wellness brand serves as a testament to our ability to execute effectively. As the brand's free cash flow grows, we anticipate accelerating our corporate store development timeline, supplemented by the growth of our franchise program."
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.
