Happy Belly Food Group has signed a 45-unit area development agreement for its Ghost Taco restaurant brand in Ontario, Canada.

Ghost Taco is a fast-casual brand offering Mexican-inspired tacos, bowls, sides and desserts.

The deal comes a day after Happy Belly acquired a 50% interest in Ghost Taco. The company now plans to support the expansion of the brand.

The latest agreement covers the development of new franchised locations across the province.

Happy Belly CEO Sean Black said: “Ontario is Ghost Taco's home market, and we believe there is tremendous opportunity available to grow this brand across the province.

“Ghost Taco has great founders, an exceptional product, a differentiated brand identity and a format that we believe is highly scalable.”

Ghost Taco was founded by Samantha Buckley, Grant Buckley and Steve Tallas as a pop-up concept.

The brand now has locations in Ontario markets such as Barrie, Kingston, Newmarket, Peterborough and Whitby.

Ghost Taco area developer Scott Grandin said: “The opportunities with Happy Belly continue, and I am extremely excited to once again work with Sean Black and the Happy Belly team, this time to grow Ghost Taco throughout Ontario.

“Ghost Taco immediately stood out to me as a brand with tremendous potential. The food is outstanding, the branding is unique, and the concept has developed an incredibly loyal following in the communities where it currently operates.”

Happy Belly’s expansion strategy involves working with experienced operators and area developers to grow its restaurant portfolio through an asset-light franchise model.

In June, Happy Belly signed a ten-unit deal for its Heal Wellness concept in the Greater Montreal Area in Quebec.