Brief - The Hustle

Meet the iced tea drive-through chain taking over Texas

Written by Rob Litterst | Aug 24, 2021 6:46:51 AM

In 2009, Justin Howe noticed an increase in sales at his parents’ restaurant, Buns Over Texas, after adding multiple iced tea flavors to the menu.

Shortly after this realization, he opened Texas Tea in Amarillo — a joint that solely sells high-quality iced teas.

Business is booming

After growing to 3 locations by 2018, he changed the names to HTeaO and decided to pursue a franchise model with the brand.

He ended up licensing 22 franchise locations within the first 30 days — and the growth has only escalated from there.

As it stands, HTeaO counts:

  • 32 existing locations
  • 37 stores in the construction phase
  • 150 stores in development

And now Howe’s crazy idea has competition

Tea2Go TeaN’ergy is another iced tea drive-through chain from Texas, with scattered locations and plans to open more across the state.

If you want to check out HTeaO for yourself, your best bet is still West Texas (though the company has expanded in-state and has a handful of out-of-state locations).

You also may want to check the menu in advance to prepare for the 500 flavor combinations to choose from.