Happy Belly Food Group's Heal Wellness QSR Announces Their Opening in the University of Calgary's University District

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 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 the opening of its 22^nd Heal Wellness location at the University of Calgary's University District. Heal Wellness ("Heal") is a fresh smoothie bowls, acai bowls, and smoothies quick serve restaurant ("QSR"). The Grand opening will be at University District 16C, 3492 University Ave North West this Saturday May 24^th, 2025.

HEAL Wellness 1

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"This opening marks our 7th location in Alberta and our 10th in Western Canada, bringing us to 54 restaurants across our franchised and corporate network," said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly. "Each new store accelerates our national expansion-Heal's hockey-stick growth fueled by our first-mover advantage now includes multiple units under construction in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. Backed by 130 contractually committed units, franchise interest from both operators and landlords continues to be constant, positioning us for sustained, predictable organic growth. Our disciplined growth strategy-anchored in the 3 P's of product, people, and process-has been the driving force behind our success and is why we're so proud to celebrate this milestone today."

HEAL Wellness 2

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"As we move into 2025, our focus is on accelerating growth through both organic initiatives and strategic acquisitions. With several more restaurants in development across our portfolio across Canada, we expect to announce additional projects throughout the year as we secure new franchise agreements and premium real estate nationwide. 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

The University of Calgary has over 38,000 students. This includes over 30,000 undergraduate students and 7,700 graduate students. University District is a master-planned community adjacent to the University of Calgary's main campus. It's located on a 200-acre development that includes residential, retail, and office spaces. The community is known for its innovative, connected, and sustainable design, fostering healthy lifestyles and a conscious urban culture. With limited competition for clean-eating offerings, we anticipate Heal to quickly become a local favorite, capitalizing on the large student population and active lifestyle culture, year-round fitness events, and growing demand for convenient, wellness-focused dining.

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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