Happy Belly's HEAL Wellness QSR Brand Enters 4th Province in Canada with Signing of a 10-Unit Area Development Agreement in The Province of Saskatchewan.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 24, 2025) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leading consolidator of emerging food brands is happy to announce that, as of February 23rd, 2025 it has signed an area development agreement for the province of Saskatchewan to open 10 new franchised locations of Heal Wellness ("Heal"), a fresh smoothie bowls, acai bowls, and smoothies quick serve restaurant ("QSR").
"The Health and Wellness sector is one of the most dynamic and rapidly expanding areas in the QSR industry, and today's announcement is a statement of Happy Belly's commitment to our growth plans for Heal across North America. Our ultimate goal is to establish this brand as a category leader in North America so we are well on our way. With Saskatchewan now becoming the fourth province to sign an Area Development agreement for Heal Wellness, our brand's total units with Area Developers and franchisees have reached 110, with several already open, under construction, or secured through franchise agreements and we plan on further accelerating our committed expansion plans in 2025." said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly.
"We remain dedicated to delivering shareholder value through a disciplined approach to both organic and inorganic growth that has never been experienced before by any QSR consolidatory in Canada. By leveraging our franchising expertise and strategic roadmap, we are quickly positioning Heal as Canada's leading national smoothie and acai bowl chain. Our Area Developer, Mr. Stephen Travers, is one of the best professionals I've ever worked with and an expert in brand development across Central and Western Canada. We worked together at Extreme Brandz, MTY Group, Crave It Restaurant Group and so far at Happy Belly Food Group we are loving working together again. This achievement marks a significant milestone for both Heal and the Happy Belly team as we accelerate our growth plans across North America. Stephen's proven expertise is a vital component of our success, enabling Happy Belly to sustain its rapid franchise expansion."
"We currently have 456 contractually committed retail franchise locations from area developers across all emerging brands in the Happy Belly Food Group portfolio including those in development, under construction or already open. We are working to actively expand this pipeline significantly in 2025 & 2026 with our disciplined approach to growth. It is key for us to continue selecting the right franchise partners along with the right real estate in order to achieve our development goals for the brands."
We are just getting started
Area Developer We have signed with experienced Stephen Travers as our Area Developer in Saskatchewan. Stephen was the 1st Extreme Pita Franchisee ever, and later the 1st ever Area-Developer for Extreme Pita, Mucho Burrito and Via Cibo. He has over 22 years of QSR experience and an impressive track record of developing brands quickly in Western Canada. Stephen has developed over 165 QSR restaurants and has delivered for us time and time again as we built our previous brands.
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.
