Happy Belly Food Group has entered an area development agreement for its Yolks Breakfast restaurant concept in Alberta, Canada.

Under the contract, 15 new Yolks locations are planned for the province.

Yolks is a boutique restaurant brand within Happy Belly’s portfolio, focused on breakfast, brunch and lunch.

Happy Belly CEO Sean Black said: “Leveraging the strong franchising interest in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces, we are excited to develop Alberta under an official area development agreement as we look forward to expanding Yolks into a leading national brand.

“By incorporating another province and securing 15 more units under development, our rollout now totals 76 contractually committed Yolks Breakfast units across nine provinces.

“Our plan is to have Yolks become a recognised national brand in every province across Canada.”

Earlier this month, Yolks signed its second franchise agreement in Quebec, with a new location planned for Laval. In addition, the brand secured a site for a franchised restaurant in Vaughan, Ontario, last month.

With the latest Alberta commitment, Happy Belly’s emerging concepts now have 681 units covered by development agreements.

Black added: “Our dual expansion strategy, combining franchised growth with targeted corporate store openings, highlights our focus on disciplined, predictable growth as we advance toward becoming Canada’s leading restaurant consolidator.”

Happy Belly Food Group focuses on acquiring and scaling emerging food brands. Its portfolio includes Heal Wellness, Rosie’s Burgers, Yolks Breakfast, Via Cibo Italian Street Food, and others.

Last month, Happy Belly Food Group expanded its Rosie’s Burgers chain in Quebec, with a new location in Montreal’s Mile End.