Toronto, Ontario (April 17th, 2024) – 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 proud to announce that, following our November 14th, 2024 news release regarding securing a real-estate location in Chapman Mills Marketplace in Barrhaven, Ottawa for our Via Cibo Italian restaurant, the grand opening is now set for this Saturday, April 19th, 2025. Being our newest location at 3181 Greenbank Road, Nepean, Ontario, marks a significant milestone as this location belongs to Via Cibo’s first multi-unit franchisee. Via Cibo delivers fast‑casual Italian street food crafted with the finest traditional ingredients, offering a chef‑driven culinary experience for anyone seeking fresh, authentic flavors.
“It is truly exciting when an existing franchisee commits to opening a second location. Following their success with Via Cibo in Kanata, we are very happy to have helped them open this second location at Chapman Mills Marketplace located at the intersection of Strandherd Drive and Greenbank Road, joining anchor tenants Loblaws, Walmart, and Cineplex Odeon”, said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly.
“We would like to thank Choice Reit for welcoming us to this property, establishing the second Via Cibo location within the city of Ottawa. When we acquired Via Cibo last year, we saw its tremendous potential in the Italian fast-casual segment. Today’s announcement is a significant step towards realizing that vision.”
“Barrhaven, a rapidly growing suburb of Ottawa is an excellent location to open a Via Cibo due to its expanding population and diverse, family-oriented community. Known for its strong residential growth, Barrhaven is home to a mix of young families, professionals, and retirees, all seeking vibrant dining experiences. The area has a flourishing dining scene but still offers untapped potential for authentic, high-quality Italian cuisine. With its close-knit community feel and increasing demand for diverse culinary options, a Via Cibo Italian restaurant in Barrhaven could quickly become a go-to spot for families, date nights, and special occasions. The abundance of nearby amenities and easy accessibility from Ottawa’s city center make it a prime location for an Italian dining experience. The combination of these factors makes Barrhaven a promising market for Via Cibo.”
“Our strategy has always centered on developing and growing emerging brands in the food industry, and Via Cibo perfectly aligns with that vision. We are excited to continue its expansion, not only throughout Ontario but also into Western Canada. We anticipate that our franchising program will play a key role in driving both top-line revenue and bottom-line profitability for Happy Belly.”
“Our asset-light franchise model enables Happy Belly to continue accelerating growth across all our brands. With a strong foundation, strategic leadership, and a dedicated franchise support system, we are well-positioned to drive sustained success in the Canadian QSR market. This is another step forward in our mission to become a predictable and disciplined growth company, Canada’s leading restaurant consolidator.”
“We look forward to continuing to execute on our franchising model as we accelerate our growth organically and inorganically through accretive M&A. Happy Belly has 521 contractually committed retail franchise locations across our emerging brands—whether in development, under construction, or already operating. Our team is committed to sourcing and evaluating real estate, reviewing franchisee applications, and collaborating closely with area developers to support our franchising model. We are working to expand this pipeline throughout 2025 and 2026, continually selecting the right franchise partners and securing optimal real estate to achieve our brands’ development goals.”
We are just getting started.
About Via Cibo
Via Cibo, an all-franchised system, is an asset-light entity with established street-front real estate locations in both Ontario and Alberta. Authentic Italian Street food, made with the best traditional ingredients for those looking for fast, fresh food that respects tradition via a chef driven full-service restaurant without the full service. At Via Cibo you can enjoy an authentic Italian meal that does not require hours of your time or a great amount of money. Via Cibo is a fast casual restaurant which offers an experience tailored to your needs. Order from one of our greeters and our servers deliver your fresh authentic dishes to your table in under 10min. Via Cibo is the Italian food Italians talk about. Our kitchen is open, smell the food, watch the cooks, have a bite with friends and share in our love for food!
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 dynamic multi-branded restaurant company focused on acquiring and scaling emerging food brands across Canada. With a robust portfolio of brands Happy Belly is dedicated to delivering quality, efficiency, and exceptional customer experiences nationwide.
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: (604) 737-2303
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.