Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 15, 2026) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("HappyBelly" or the "Company"), a leader in acquiring and scaling emerging food brands across Canada, is pleased to announce that it has signed a 45-unit area development agreement for the province of Ontario for Ghost Taco. The agreement provides for the development of new franchised Ghost Taco locations throughout Ontario and represents a significant milestone in the Company's plans to accelerate the growth of the brand following Happy Belly's recently completed acquisition of a 50% interest in Ghost Taco.

Ghost Taco is a fast-growing Ontario-based fast-casual restaurant brand specializing in bold, Mexican-inspired tacos, bowls, sides and desserts. Founded by Samantha Buckley, Grant Buckley and Steve Tallas as a pop-up, Ghost Taco has grown into a distinctive multi-location concept with a playful "unauthentic Mexican" positioning, strong local following and memorable brand identity. The brand currently has established locations across Ontario, including Newmarket, Kingston, Whitby, Peterborough and Barrie.

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"Ontario is Ghost Taco's home market, and we believe there is tremendous opportunity available to grow this brand across the province," said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly. "Ghost Taco has all the characteristics we look for when scaling an emerging restaurant concept: People, Product, and Process. Ghost Taco has great founders, an exceptional product, a differentiated brand identity and a format that we believe is highly scalable."

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"The opportunities with Happy Belly continue, and I am extremely excited to once again work with Sean Black and the Happy Belly team, this time to grow Ghost Taco throughout Ontario," said Scott Grandin, Area Developer. "Ghost Taco immediately stood out to me as a brand with tremendous potential. The food is outstanding, the branding is unique, and the concept has developed an incredibly loyal following in the communities where it currently operates."

Happy Belly's growth strategy continues to focus on partnering with experienced operators and area developers to expand its portfolio of emerging restaurant brands through an asset-light franchise model. The Company believes this approach provides a scalable path to growth while leveraging the operating experience, infrastructure and local market knowledge of its development partners.

"When you combine an experienced development partner with the founders of Ghost Taco and the infrastructure of Happy Belly, we believe we have the right ingredients to build something very meaningful across Ontario. With this agreement in place for Ontario our focus now turns to securing further deals across Canada."

"We are just getting started," added Sean Black.

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About Ghost Taco
Ghost Taco is an Ontario-based fast-casual restaurant brand serving bold, Mexican-inspired tacos, bowls, sides and desserts. Founded by Samantha Buckley, Grant Buckley and Steve Tallas as a pop-up, Ghost Taco has grown into a distinctive multi-location concept known for its playful "unauthentic Mexican" positioning, memorable brand identity and loyal customer following. Today, the brand continues to expand across Ontario through a scalable franchise model, with locations in markets including Newmarket, Kingston, Whitby, Peterborough and Barrie.

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. The Company's portfolio includes Heal Wellness, Rosie's Burgers, Yolks Breakfast, Via Cibo Italian Street Food, iQ Food Co., and others.

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Sean Black
Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer

Shawn Moniz
Co-founder, President

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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Source: Happy Belly Food Group Inc.