Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 10, 2026) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leading consolidator of emerging restaurant brands, is pleased to announce the grand opening of its newest Heal Wellness ("Heal") location located at 370 Taunton Road East, Unit 7, in Taunton Gardens, Whitby, Ontario, this Saturday, July 11th, 2026. This location will see Heal join anchor tenants such as LA Fitness & Farm Boy. Heal Wellness is a fast-growing quick-service restaurant ("QSR") brand specializing in fresh smoothie bowls, açaí bowls, smoothies, and other better-for-you menu offerings built around clean ingredients and an active lifestyle.
Happy Belly 1
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Heal Wellness continues to gain momentum as consumer demand for functional, wellness-focused QSR concepts grows across both urban and suburban markets. With its strong brand positioning, scalable format, and expanding franchise pipeline, Heal is well positioned to deepen its footprint across Ontario and other key Canadian regions.
"Opening Heal in Whitby marks another milestone in our Ontario expansion strategy," said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly Food Group. "Whitby represents a strong, community-oriented market with attractive demographic fundamentals, continued residential growth, and consistent daily traffic driven by families, professionals, students, commuters, and health-conscious consumers. Located in the heart of Durham Region, Whitby benefits from established neighborhoods, growing new communities, strong commuter connectivity, active retail corridors, and access to major transportation routes serving the broader GTA. The market's mix of residential density, schools, fitness, service, grocery, and restaurant uses supports steady visitation throughout the day and aligns well with Heal's functional, grab-and-go offering. These characteristics make Whitby an ideal location for Heal and support our confidence in the brand's sustainable, long-term unit performance."
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"Heal Wellness continues to expand rapidly across Canada and into the United States, solidifying its position as a leading acai and smoothie bowl brand," said Sean Black. "With 44 locations now open and more than 164 in development, Heal remains a key driver of growth within Happy Belly's broader portfolio of 686 contractually committed retail franchise locations across multiple emerging brands in various stages of development, construction, and operation. We continue to build a predictable and disciplined growth engine designed to create long-term shareholder value."