Connect News Commercial Real Estate news for every market and every facet, every day.
Connect Events Live and virtual events bringing together the best of information and networking.
Connect Creative A full service marketing and PR agency.
ApartmentBuildings.com Is a dynamic platform to search for, list and promote multifamily listings nationwide.
Connect Awards View the A-list of commercial real estate & submit nominations.
Connect Media Kit Advertise, Promote, Attend, Create – Work with Connect.
About Connect Meet the team behind the machine and taste a little of the secret sauce.
Connect News

Your source for daily news covering CRE transactions and trends. Stay informed on national, regional and property sector news that matters to your business.
Connect Classroom

Offering on-demand online courses that provide continuing education credits for brokers, attorneys, appraisers and architects. Select from easily accessible video and written courses that cover a variety of CRE topics.
Find Your Course
Advertise, Promote, Attend, Create – Work with Connect.
A full service marketing and PR agency.
Meet the team behind the machine and taste a little of the secret sauce.

Canada CRE News In Your Inbox.

Sign up for Connect emails to stay informed with CRE stories that are 150 words or less.

Sub Markets

Property Sectors

Topics

Pacific Canada  + Retail  |  March 2, 2025
Photo of Happy Belly Retaurant inside a mall.
Avatar photo
By: Monte Stewart

Happy Belly to Develop 20 New Franchised Restaurants in B.C.

Happy Belly Food Group has signed an area development agreement to open 20 new franchised locations of iQ Food Co. across B.C.

The Toronto-based quick-service restaurant brand offers a menu focused on healthy eating, including bowls, smoothies, sandwiches, soups, and salads.

The expansion follows Happy Belly’s full acquisition of iQ in September 2024 and builds on the company’s strategy to scale emerging food brands. The new locations will be developed in partnership with Stephen Travers, a Western Canada area developer with more than two decades of experience in the quick-service restaurant sector.

Happy Belly cited growing demand in B.C. for nutritious dining options as a key factor driving the expansion. The agreement brings the total number of iQ locations under development agreements to 65.

Happy Belly currently has 476 franchise locations across Canada, operating under its own name and such brands as iQ Food Co., Rosie’s, Yolks, Heal and several other banners.

Photo: Zomato

Connect

Inside The Story

About Monte Stewart

Monte Stewart serves as Content Director - Canada for Connect Commercial Real Estate. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monte provides daily news coverage of major Canadian commercial real estate markets, including Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Calgary. He has written about the real estate sector for various media outlets and Avison Young since the early 2000s. In addition, he has covered sports, general news and business for several leading wire services and publications, including The Canadian Press, The Associated Press, The Calgary Herald, The Globe and Mail, Research Money, The Daily Oil Bulletin, Natural Gas World and The Toronto Star. Monte is active in his community as a youth basketball coach and raises funds for such charitable causes as Movember.
Order Reprints
New call-to-action