Happy Belly Food Group Inc. reports developments tied to its multi-brand restaurant platform and strategy of acquiring and scaling emerging food brands. The company’s recurring updates focus on quick-service and fast-casual concepts, franchise growth, real estate secured for new locations, corporate restaurant openings, and brand-level expansion across Canadian markets.
News for HBFGF commonly covers Heal Wellness, iQ Food Co., Yolks Breakfast, Rosie's Burgers, Via Cibo Italian Street Food and other portfolio brands. Updates also include area development agreements, multi-unit franchise relationships, QSR systemwide sales, audited results, and corporate acquisition activity within franchised and asset-light restaurant concepts.
Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) has signed a binding LOI agreement to acquire 50% of SALUS Fresh Foods, a QSR restaurant chain with nine locations in Ontario. This marks Happy Belly's third acquisition in 2024, bringing their total to eight restaurant brands and ten brands overall. SALUS Fresh Foods is experiencing a +19% increase in same-store sales YOY. The acquisition details include:
- Happy Belly will issue shares worth $300,000 for 50% ownership
- Estimated purchase price of 4x EBITDA
- Closing expected within 30-90 days
- Option to acquire remaining 50% in the future
This acquisition aligns with Happy Belly's strategy of consolidating emerging food brands and is expected to bring synergies in operations, franchising, and expansion opportunities.
Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) has announced the signing of its first franchisee in Quebec for Yolks Breakfast, expanding its national franchising program to four provinces. This marks the ninth new franchisee agreement for Yolks since its acquisition seven months ago, bringing the brand's total to twelve. The company now has commitments for 376 franchised units across seven brands and four Canadian provinces.
The new Yolks location will be in Montreal's West Island vicinity. Happy Belly's Chief Investment Officer, Sean Black, highlighted the rapid progress, noting that the first Quebec franchisee was signed just five weeks after announcing a 26-unit area development agreement for the province. The company's asset-light franchise model continues to attract significant interest, with the breakfast category being one of the fastest-growing sectors in the restaurant industry.
Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) has signed a significant area development agreement for its Heal Wellness brand in Ontario. The deal, signed on July 23rd, 2024, involves opening 40 franchised restaurants in the province, focusing on fresh smoothie bowls, acai bowls, and smoothies.
This agreement is part of Happy Belly's strategy to accelerate growth in the health and wellness category, which is described as one of the fastest-growing sectors in the restaurant industry. The area developer, Scott Grandin, is praised for his expertise in brand development in Ontario.
Happy Belly now has a total of 366 contractually committed retail locations in its portfolio, including 90 for Heal alone. The company is actively working on sourcing real estate, evaluating franchisee applications, and collaborating with area developers to expand its asset-light franchising model across Canada.
Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) has announced the opening of its newest Heal Wellness franchise in Sherwood Park, Alberta on July 20th, 2024. This marks the second Heal store opening in Western Canada in the past six weeks, with seven more locations under construction in Alberta and British Columbia. The company has a contractual commitment of 50 units for Heal in Western Canada.
The new location at 905-8005 Emerald Drive is the first Heal Wellness in Alberta. Happy Belly currently has six QSR brands with new locations under construction across Canada. The company anticipates that the Sherwood Park location will significantly extend Heal's customer base in a rapidly growing area that aligns well with the brand's health-focused demographics.
Happy Belly has a total of 326 contractually committed retail locations in the pipeline across all its emerging brands. The company is focusing on sourcing real estate locations, reviewing franchisee applications, and working with area developers to accelerate the growth of its asset-light franchising model.
Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: VGANF) has announced the signing of a franchisee for its seventh Rosie's Burgers location in Oakville, Ontario. This marks the fourth franchise agreement in the last four weeks, spanning two provinces. Rosie's Burgers, a boutique QSR brand, offers smash burgers, poutine, onion rings, and milkshakes.
Sean Black, Chief Investment Officer, noted that Rosie's growth is outpacing the early success of their previous brand, Burgers Priest, attributing this to their asset-light franchise model. Oakville was chosen for its affluent population, higher-than-average median household income, and thriving retail environment, making it an ideal market for Rosie's expansion.
Happy Belly Food Group announced the signing of a new franchise agreement for its Heal Wellness brand in Whitby, Ontario. Heal Wellness specializes in fresh smoothie bowls, acai bowls, and smoothie quick-serve restaurants. Whitby, part of the Greater Toronto Area, is noted for its health-conscious population and thriving local economy, making it an ideal location. This agreement is part of Happy Belly's strategy to accelerate growth through its franchise program, which provides franchisees with a proven business model. The company aims to expand both organically and through strategic M&A, leveraging increased free cash flow to enhance corporate store development.
Happy Belly Food Group has announced the addition of a new White Cheddar flavor to its LumberHeads Popcorn line. This new flavor is gluten, dairy, and peanut-free, aiming to cater to those with dietary restrictions and health-conscious consumers.
Additionally, the company has expanded its retail distribution, introducing LumberHeads Popcorn to new locations. CEO Shawn Moniz emphasized that the company's growth strategy is driven by organic growth and a focus on sales-driven operations, resulting in steady growth for the first half of 2024.
Happy Belly aims to accelerate product development and market growth through its shared services model and expects continued distribution and sales growth into the second half of the year.
Happy Belly Food Group announced that its Heal Wellness brand has secured its 4th real-estate location in Calgary's University District. This marks the 6th location out of a committed 10 in Alberta. The university's vibrant community of over 33,000 students and 203,000 alumni aligns well with Heal's health-focused menu of smoothies and acai bowls.
The new location is expected to open in Q1 2025. The expansion highlights the success of Happy Belly's franchising program, which offers comprehensive training and resources to franchisees. This growth is expected to accelerate the development of corporate stores and attract more investors.
Happy Belly Food Group (CSE: HBFG, OTCQB: VGANF) has announced the signing of its 43rd franchise and 3rd real-estate location for its Heal Wellness brand in Calgary's Bridgeland area. This marks the 5th location out of a planned 10 in Alberta. The Bridgeland site is expected to open in Q4 2024, benefiting from high foot traffic and a supportive local business environment. The rapid franchise growth highlights the success of Happy Belly's franchising model, offering comprehensive training and resources to franchisees, and aims to expand to non-traditional locations like universities and airports.
Happy Belly Food Group has announced the signing of a new franchisee for Rosie's Burgers in Burlington, Ontario. This marks the sixth location for the boutique QSR brand, which specializes in smash burgers, poutine, onion rings, and milkshakes. Burlington was chosen for its high visibility, accessibility, and vibrant dining scene, making it an ideal location for expansion. This is the first of 30 planned units for Rosie's in Ontario. The franchise expansion aligns with Happy Belly's growth strategy, leveraging their asset-light franchise model to maximize value and ensure a prosperous future for shareholders.