Happy Belly Food Group Signs Real Estate for Corporate Combo Store of iQ Food Co. and Heal Wellness in Toronto, Ontario
Rhea-AI Summary
Happy Belly Food Group (OTCQB: HBFGF) secured prime real estate on Queen Street West in Toronto for a second combined iQ Food Co. and Heal Wellness store, with possession in Q1 2026 and a grand opening planned for Q2 2026.
The site is described as a corner location with parking at a high-traffic pedestrian intersection targeting a young, health-conscious demographic. This will be iQ Food Co.'s 8th GTA location and the 4th new iQ store since Happy Belly's Q4 2025 acquisition. Happy Belly says it has 626 contractually committed retail franchise locations across its portfolio, with active expansion planned through late 2025 and 2026.
Positive
- Signed Queen Street West lease with possession in Q1 2026
- Grand opening planned for Q2 2026
- iQ Food Co reaches 8th GTA location
- 4th new iQ location since Happy Belly acquisition in Q4 2025
- 626 contractually committed retail franchise locations across portfolio
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction 1 Alert
On the day this news was published, HBFGF declined 0.74%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 7, 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 securing of a new prime real estate location in Toronto, which will be home to our second combination pairing of iQ Food Co. and Heal Wellness, both wholly owned brands under the Happy Belly portfolio.
"Following the strong performance and operational success of our first combo store featuring iQ Food Co. and Heal Wellness at The Shops at Don Mills, we are ready to continue expanding this model with a second location, further validating the scalability and adaptability of our combination store model," said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly. "This innovative approach enables us to optimize real estate efficiency, enhance customer accessibility, and drive stronger per-store performance by strategically pairing complementary brands under one roof."
Happy Belly 1
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"This premier corner site on Queen Street West in Toronto, complete with available parking, is ideally positioned at a high-traffic pedestrian intersection in one of the city's most vibrant neighbourhoods. With possession scheduled for Q1 and a grand opening planned for Q2, this location offers exceptional exposure and accessibility. The area's young, urban, and health-conscious demographic-made up of professionals, students, and active lifestyle enthusiasts-perfectly aligns with the fresh, wellness-driven menus of both iQ Food Co. and Heal Wellness. We're excited to bring these two dynamic brands to a community that values nutritious, convenient, and high-quality dining experiences."
Happy Belly 2
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"This will be iQ Food Co's 8th location in Ontario's GTA, and the 4th new location since Happy Belly acquired the brand in Q4 2025. iQ serves a variety of delicious and wholesome food options such as healthy bowls, smoothies, sandwiches, soups, and salads, along with other flavorful clean-eating dishes that the whole family can enjoy. iQ caters to thousands of health-conscious customers fostering strong brand recognition and a loyal customer base driven by word-of-mouth and most importantly, satisfied customers."
"Heal Wellness is a QSR 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.
"Happy Belly currently has 626 contractually committed retail franchise locations from area developers across all emerging brands in the Happy Belly Food Group portfolio including those in development, under construction or already open. We are working to actively expand this pipeline significantly in the back half of 2025 & 2026 with our disciplined approach to growth.
"We are just getting started," said Sean Black.
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.
About iQ Food Co.
iQ is a flagship brand in Canada's premium healthy eating market and is strategically located in urban and central business districts. iQ serves a variety of delicious and wholesome food options such as healthy bowls, smoothies, sandwiches, soups, and salads, along with other flavorful clean-eating dishes that the whole family can enjoy. iQ caters to thousands of health-conscious customers from local businesses, while expanding into catering services to service an even greater audience in downtown densely populated areas. This strategy has fostered strong brand recognition and a loyal customer base driven by word-of-mouth and, most importantly, satisfied customers.
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
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:
www: www.happybellyfg.com or email hello@happybellyfg.com
If you wish to contact us please call: 1-877-589-8805
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.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/269429
FAQ
What did Happy Belly (HBFGF) announce about the new Toronto location on October 7, 2025?
How many iQ Food Co. locations will there be in the GTA after the new HBFGF store opens?
How many new iQ stores has Happy Belly opened since its Q4 2025 acquisition according to the announcement?
What scale of franchise pipeline did Happy Belly report in the October 7, 2025 announcement?
Where is the new Happy Belly combo store located and who is the target customer?
What brands will operate in the new HBFGF combo store and what do they offer?
