Happy Belly Food Group, a consolidator of food brands, has announced the opening of a new Heal Wellness franchise location in Toronto, Ontario.
The new restaurant is located on Queen Street East in Toronto’s The Beaches neighbourhood.
It is Happy Belly’s first franchised location to open under the quick service restaurant (QSR) brand Heal Wellness.
The strategic move is part of a larger expansion plan, with 60 additional Heal Wellness franchised stores planned across Canada and the US.
The restaurant will offer Heal Wellness's signature items including acai bowls, smoothie bowls, breakfast waffles and a range of smoothies, catering to a health-conscious population.
The opening of The Beaches restaurant will help expand the customer base of Heal Wellness in a densely populated area, in line with the brand's demographics.
The new location provides Happy Belly Food Group with substantial opportunities, leveraging both in-store and delivery services to fuel growth.
The company’s franchising model, complemented by strategic mergers and acquisitions, is set to enhance its presence in the QSR sector.
Happy Belly chief investment officer Sean Black said: “With a total of 275 contractually committed retail locations in the pipeline across all emerging brands in the Happy Belly portfolio still to come, our team is heads-down sourcing and continually reviewing real estate locations, combing through franchisee applications and working hand in hand with our area developers to continue our rapid growth of asset-light franchising development.”
Heal Wellness, known for its fresh, wellness-oriented menu, currently operates six corporate locations.
The partnership between the Happy Belly Food Group and Heal Wellness began in July 2023 with an area development agreement.
The agreement included the opening of 30 new Heal Wellness franchise restaurants in British Columbia, setting the stage for the brand's expansion efforts.
In January 2024, the Happy Belly Food Group confirmed signing a binding letter of intent to acquire CraveIt Restaurant Group’s Via Cibo restaurant chain.
