Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 22, 2026) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leader in acquiring and scaling emerging food brands, is pleased to announce that further to its press release dated October 31st, 2025, announcing the signing of a franchise agreement for the City of Edmonton, the Company has now secured a real-estate location for that franchisee in Edmonton's Brewery District. Yolks ("Yolks") is a boutique restaurant brand serving delicious breakfast, brunch and lunch.

Happy Belly 1

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Edmonton's Brewery District is a prominent mixed-use destination located just west of the downtown core, combining retail, dining, residential and commercial activity within a distinctive heritage setting. The area benefits from strong surrounding neighbourhood density, convenient access to major roadways and proximity to downtown office towers, post-secondary institutions, health-care facilities and entertainment destinations. Its combination of local residents, professionals, students and visitors creates consistent daytime traffic, making the Brewery District an attractive location for a chef-driven breakfast, brunch and lunch brand like Yolks.

"Further to our October 31st, 2025 announcement, we are pleased to have secured a high-quality real-estate location for our Edmonton franchisee in the Brewery District," said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly Food Group. "This location provides Yolks with a strong entry point into the Edmonton market and reflects our disciplined site-selection strategy focused on visible, accessible locations with established daytime traffic to support strong unit economics and long-term franchisee success."

"Alberta remains an important growth market for Yolks as we continue building the brand's national footprint. Yolks has developed strong momentum through franchise agreements and development activity across British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, supported by experienced operators and landlords seeking differentiated, high-performing breakfast concepts. Securing this Brewery District location represents another meaningful step in expanding Yolks throughout Western Canada."

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"With 76 contractually committed Yolks locations across nine Canadian provinces, Yolks is positioned to scale rapidly in the years ahead. This new Edmonton Brewery District location contributes to Happy Belly's broader portfolio of 686 contractually committed retail franchise locations across multiple emerging brands in various stages of development, construction and operation. Our dual expansion strategy of combining franchised growth with targeted corporate store openings reinforces our commitment to accelerating brand development as we advance our mission to become a predictable and disciplined growth company and Canada's leading restaurant consolidator."

"We are just getting started," added Sean Black.

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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!

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. The Company's portfolio includes Heal Wellness, Rosie's Burgers, Yolks Breakfast, Via Cibo Italian Street Food, and others.

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Sean Black
Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer

Shawn Moniz
Co-founder, President

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.

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