Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 26, 2024) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leading consolidator of emerging food brands, is pleased to announce the signing of its first franchisee in the province of Quebec for Yolks Breakfast ("Yolks"), a boutique restaurant brand serving delicious breakfast, brunch and lunch. Yolks first location in Quebec will be within the vicinity of Montreal's West Island.

Yolks Breakfast

"Today marks a significant milestone for Happy Belly as we sign our first franchisee in Quebec, expanding our national franchising program to four (4) operational provinces across Canada. We are incredibly proud of our Yolks partners on both the operational and area development ("AD") side. Since announcing our 26-unit Quebec AD agreement on June 17th, we have successfully signed our first franchisee in the province in just five short weeks," said Sean Black, Chief Investment Officer of Happy Belly.
"This marks our ninth (9th) new franchisee agreement for Yolks since our acquisition just seven (7) short months ago, bringing the Yolks brand total to twelve (12). Establishing our presence in Quebec is a major milestone for both Yolks and Happy Belly. It affirms that our accelerated franchising program and business model are well-suited for our emerging brands, as demonstrated by our organic growth across the portfolio. With franchise agreements now in place in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec, and 51-units contractually committed with area developers for Yolks, we show no signs of slowing down."

"As the breakfast category remains one of the hottest and fastest-growing sectors in the restaurant industry, we are maintaining our momentum and aggressive approach. Our asset-light strategy continues to attract significant interest and inquiries from potential franchisees. As progress unfolds, we look forward to sharing details about our initial real estate locations. Our overarching strategy has consistently focused on developing and growing emerging brands within the food sector. With the continued rollout of our franchising initiative, we anticipate these new locations will significantly contribute to the company's revenue and profitability."

Yolks Breakfast

"We are excited to replicate our past success in franchising restaurant brands by elevating Yolks Breakfast into a leading brand across Canada. Happy Belly now has commitments for 376 franchised units with area developers across seven (7) brands and four (4) provinces in Canada. Leveraging our experience, we have grown previous brands like Extreme Pita, Mucho Burrito, Burger's Priest and Fresh to over 400 franchised and corporate locations. The asset-light franchise model, which has proven successful for us in the past, will remain a key component of our disciplined organic growth strategy. We are just getting started."
For franchising inquiries please see or contact us at hello@happybellyfg.com.
About Yolks Breakfast
Chef Steve Ewing is a strong proponent of breakfast - it's his favourite meal of the day - which is why its so important to him and why he takes so much care and puts so much effort into its menu. Not only are the eggs free-range, but the bacon is local and the hollandaise isn't some quickie version, but the real deal, just one fast whisking away from le Cordon Bleu. Even the Dijon is made in-house!
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.

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 .