When our founders Justin, Gary, and Kim started a small family side business serving iced tea in Amarillo, TX back in 2009, they had no idea they were brewing up a movement. Realizing they’d struck oil (figuratively, that is), Justin took the reins in 2012 and spent another six years carefully perfecting the experience. In 2018, HTeaO was officially born. You could say we’ve been a bit busy since then. In fact, we’ve already put our unique spin on Southern-style iced tea on the map in 14 states and counting. And there’s a lot more where that came from.
meet our co-founder & ceo
justin howe
Justin Howe is the proud Co-Founder and CEO of HTeaO, a franchise-based company he has dedicated over a decade to creating. He is thrilled to lead a team focused on delivering a unique lifestyle brand and tea-drinking experience to enthusiasts nationwide.
Beyond the boardroom, his passions extend to the skies as an avid fixed-wing and helicopter pilot, and he also runs several other companies. Flying has been a personal passion and former career for Justin, instilling in him values of precision, strategic planning, and exploration—values that seamlessly translate into his role at HTeaO.
As a devoted family man for over 25 years, Justin understands the importance of balance and harmony in both personal and professional life. He believes a thriving work environment begins with a strong foundation at
home, and this philosophy is woven into the fabric of HTeaO’s corporate
culture.
What started as a vision has evolved into a high-growth franchise-based
company with over 125 locations nationwide. It’s been an incredible journey
for Justin to watch HTeaO flourish, and he is proud of the dedicated team
that has played an instrumental role in its success.
HTeaO is more than a business; it’s a community of tea enthusiasts,
franchise owners, and team members who share a common passion for
people and excellence. They seek dynamic individuals eager to join the
growing family as franchisees. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and
share a commitment to delivering exceptional experiences, explore the
exciting possibilities with Justin and HTeaO.
our history
1989
buns over texas founded
2008
buns over texas tea experiment
2009
texas tea is born
2014
first stand alone prototype is built; texas tea wolfin
2015
teabevco entity formed
jan. 2018
hteao prototype opened in midland, tx
may 2018
hteao starts franchising signing more than 25 deals in the first month
2022
htea opens 50th location
2024
hteao opens 100th location
jan 2024
free rein partnership
our executive team
justin howe
FOUNDER & CEO
experience:
20 years in the industry
fav flavor:
Unsweet regular
gary hutchens (pops)
FOUNDER
experience:
40 years in the industry
fav flavor:
sweet mango
heath nielsen
president
experience:
25 years in the industry
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Unsweet regular & splash of Blueberry
blake reid
chief financial officer
experience:
11 years in the industry
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Shane Clark
Chief Development Officer
experience:
25 years in the industry
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Sweet Georgia peach & sweet regular
andrew hawes
franchise development officer
experience:
10 years in the industry
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Unsweet blueberry & Sweet Georgia Peach
matt gonzalez
chief logistics officer
experience:
7 years in the industry
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sweet coconut
brad williamson
executive vice president
experience:
8 years in the industry
fav flavor:
unsweet regular & blueberry green
kelsey mcmanemin
vice president of marketing
experience:
12 years in the industry
fav flavor:
unsweet regular & a splash of raspberry with a lemon wedge