HTeaO celebrates the opening of its 100th store
Image: HTeaO
HTeaO, the American iced tea franchise, is celebrating a brand milestone with the opening of its 100th location on 20 January 2024 at 815 Wellborn Rd, College Station, TX. Coming off a year of franchise development, HTeaO opened 34 locations and awarded 124 franchise agreements across the country in 2023. With QSR concepts on the rise, multi-unit owners are flocking to the franchise opportunity wanting to expand their portfolios.
A full circle moment for the iced tea brand; the 100th location is owned by the same franchisee who signed the first franchise agreement with HTeaO five years ago. Bryan Benson, HTeaO’s first franchisee, has continued to invest in the brand with four open locations and two more on the way, and says the success speaks for itself.
“It’s been amazing to see the growth with HTeaO over the past five years since we signed the first-ever franchise agreement,” said Benson. “College Station is a bustling community filled with college students and growing with young families. The vibrant town is the perfect place to bring HTeaO’s fun concept. We look forward to bringing another taste of Texas with our freshly brewed, made daily iced tea blends.”
Image: HTeaO
To celebrate the occasion, Benson and his team will be hosting a large celebration on Saturday, 20 January from 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM at 815 Wellborn Rd. Guests are invited to attend and celebrate with the College Station community, and participate in the following festivities:
- The celebration will begin with a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the College Station Chamber of Commerce with members of the corporate team in attendance.
- The event will have several food trucks including Napa Flats and Raging Bull Street Tacos, and activities for kids including a bouncy house.
- Aggie 96.1 will be on site playing country music and hosting their live radio broadcast.
- The first 30 guests in line will receive swag bags filled with various HTeaO merchandise inside to commemorate the 100th location and HTeaO gift cards.
- Throughout the day HTeaO will also be conducting giveaways for prizes including: free tea for a year, a Yeti cooler, and limited edition t-shirts.
“As the specialty beverage industry continues to evolve, we are excited to have strong brand recognition as we open our 100th location,” said Justin Howe, founder and CEO of HTeaO. “Building this brand and becoming a household name in a rising industry is rewarding for the entire HTeaO Team and we can’t wait to continue to grow in 2024.”
Throughout 2023, HTeaO has continued to branch into new states across the nation by securing agreements in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, South Carolina, and Tennessee. This success of the brand has not gone unnoticed, as HTeaO has ranked on the highly sought-after Entrepreneur Franchise 500 ranking four years in-a-row and landed at number nine on the 2023 Top New and Emerging Franchises list.
HTeaO is committed to providing a high-quality product, with all its ingredients fresh and natural. Known for its 26 flavours ranging from coconut to Georgia peach, these caffeinated and decaffeinated tea varieties come in both sweet or unsweet options, and any flavours can be combined to create something unique.
In addition to its wide array of teas and coffees, including a new partnership with Free Rein, each location offers several healthy grab-and-go snacks, home brew kits, ground and whole bean coffee, apparel and accessories. The community-driven organisation also believes in brewing purpose. Every cup can make a difference, and locations frequently host promotions to give back.
The brand currently operates in six different states, has over 300 stores in development and projects to have 500 locations open by the end of 2026.
HTeaO is a unique franchise concept that has perfected a simplistic business model, dealing primarily in iced tea. With all natural ingredients, the brand has created its own supply chain, to ensure each store receives all essential products, and helps keep costs low. Striving for precise consistency, each store is equipped with its own proprietary water plant, creating pure and consistent tasting water.
For more information about franchise opportunities, visit hteao.com/franchise/.
