Happy Belly Food Group has reached the landmark of 100 operating restaurants with the launch of a new Heal Wellness site in Maple, Ontario, Canada.

Heal Wellness operates in the quick-service restaurant segment, with a menu focused on fresh smoothie bowls, açaí bowls, smoothies and other “better-for-you” products.

Happy Belly Food Group CEO Sean Black said: “Reaching our milestone of 100 opened locations is a major milestone and is the culmination of all the hard work we have put into building this company over the last several years.

“This opening is a validation of our platform, people, franchise partners, brands, and the disciplined approach we have taken to building a scalable growth company.”

Black said the company is continuing to grow in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec while also laying groundwork for expansion into the US.

As part of the plan, the group is focusing on identifying “high-quality franchise partners”, targeted site selection and entry into markets where it sees long-term potential for its concepts.

The latest opening also marks Heal Wellness’s 42nd restaurant location.

Black added: “With 42 locations now open and more than 166 in development, Heal remains a key driver of growth within Happy Belly's broader portfolio of 686 contractually committed retail franchise locations across multiple emerging brands in various stages of development, construction, and operation.

“We continue to build a predictable and disciplined growth engine designed to create long-term shareholder value.”

Last week, Happy Belly Food Group signed a ten-unit deal to expand the Heal Wellness concept in the Greater Montreal Area, Quebec, Canada.