Happy Belly Food Group's Heal Wellness QSR Announces the Signing of their 50th Franchise Agreement to be in the City of Grand Prairie, Alberta

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 13, 2025) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leader in acquiring and scaling emerging food brands across Canada is pleased to announce that its Heal Wellness brand has signed its 50th franchise agreement. This franchised location will be for the City of Grande Prairie, Alberta. Heal Wellness ("Heal") is a fresh smoothie bowls, acai bowls, and smoothies quick serve restaurant ("QSR").

Heal Wellness

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"With our 50th franchise agreement now signed, Heal Wellness continues to strengthen its development pipeline and drive consistent organic growth," said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly. "The steady stream of new franchise agreements and the securing of strategic real estate across Canada reinforces our expansion strategy while generating long-term value for our shareholders. Our vision remains clear—to establish Heal Wellness as the leading acai bowl and smoothie brand in Canada.

"As we move forward in 2025-2026, our focus remains on accelerating both organic and inorganic growth. With each new store opening and franchise agreement signed, we accelerate our nationwide expansion, as Heal continues its rapid, hockey-stick growth driven by our first-mover advantage. Backed by a contractual commitment for 130 total units, franchise interest from both prospective operators and landlords is accelerating, positioning us for sustained, predictable organic growth across the country.

"With a well-established business model that mitigates the typical risks of entrepreneurship, we equip franchisees with the tools needed for success while maintaining the strength and reputation of our brands. This structured approach has been instrumental in Heal Wellness' rapid national growth and is a testament to our operational efficiency. As the brand's free cash flow grows, we plan to further expand corporate store development while leveraging additional momentum from our franchise network. With multiple locations already under construction, we anticipate announcing additional openings throughout the year as we further scale our presence across Canada.

"This progress is a clear step forward in our mission to become a predictable, disciplined growth company. Happy Belly now has 531 contractually committed retail franchise locations across our emerging brands—whether in development, under construction, or already operating. We are steadily expanding this pipeline throughout 2025 and 2026, continually selecting the right franchise partners and securing optimal real estate to achieve our brands' development goals."

We are just getting started.

Neighborhood
Grande Prairie, Alberta presents a strong opportunity for a smoothie and açaí bowl restaurant due to its youthful, health-conscious population, growing economy, and limited competition in the health-focused fast-casual space. As a regional hub for northwestern Alberta, the city attracts not only local residents but also consumers from surrounding communities, expanding the potential customer base. The city's active lifestyle culture—supported by recreational facilities, parks, and fitness centers—aligns well with demand for nutritious, on-the-go food options. With a population nearing 70,000 and steady economic growth driven by diverse industries, Grande Prairie offers the right mix of demographics, disposable income, and market gap to support the success of a wellness-oriented food concept.

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.

Franchising
For franchising inquiries please see www.happybellyfg.com/franchise-with-us/ or contact us at hello@happybellyfg.com.

About Happy Belly Food Group
Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company") is a leader in acquiring and scaling emerging food brands across Canada.

Happy Belly Food Group

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Sean Black
Chief Executive Officer

Shawn Moniz
Chief Operating Officer

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.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

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.

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