HTeaO Names Brian Wise Chief Executive Officer as Justin Howe Becomes Executive Chairman
Brian Wise, Chief Executive Officer, HTeaO • Photo Courtesy of HTeaO
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HTeaO has appointed Brian Wise as Chief Executive Officer, while co-founder Justin Howe will transition to Executive Chairman of the Board.
FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 5, 2026, (VSNewsNetwork.com) — Iced tea franchise HTeaO has appointed Brian Wise as Chief Executive Officer as the company continues expanding its national store network.
Wise previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. HTeaO co-founder Justin Howe will transition to Executive Chairman of the Board and remain involved in the company’s strategy, brand development and product innovation.
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The leadership changes follow an additional investment completed in April by private equity firms Crux Capital and Trive Capital, which first invested in HTeaO in 2023 and now hold a majority interest in the company.
HTeaO operates more than 180 locations across 11 states. The company reports that it is investing in leadership, technology, supply chain capabilities and franchisee support as it prepares to open additional locations.
“Building HTeaO into the category leader it is today has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. Brian is an exceptional leader who understands what makes this brand special, and I have complete confidence in where he’ll lead HTeaO next,” said Howe.
Wise spent more than seven years on the corporate leadership team at Freddy’s, serving as Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President of Operations and Director of Franchise Management. Before joining the corporate team, he spent 15 years as a partner in one of the restaurant chain’s largest franchise groups.
During Wise’s time on the Freddy’s leadership team, the company expanded to nearly 600 restaurants across 37 states and Canada.
“What immediately stood out to me about HTeaO was that it has all the right ingredients for sustained success. The quality of the product is unmatched, the guest experience is authentic, and there’s an incredible culture built around franchisees, team members and our corporate support staff all working toward the same goal. I’ve been in the franchisees’ shoes, so I understand the importance of a leadership team that listens. My focus will be working hand-in-hand with our franchise partners to strengthen operations, refine our systems and build an even more scalable model — so HTeaO can keep growing for decades while staying true to what makes this brand special,” said Wise.
“Brian is exactly the leader HTeaO needs for its next chapter. He has spent more than 20 years inside one of the best-run franchise systems in the country — first as an operator, and then as the executive who helped scale it to nearly 600 restaurants. That combination of operational discipline and genuine credibility with franchisees is rare. The team has built a category-defining brand, and Brian has the experience to institutionalize the talent, systems and infrastructure that will carry HTeaO to many times its current size,” said Wayne Moore, Managing Partner of Crux Capital.
“Our decision to increase our investment and become majority shareholders reflects our deep conviction in HTeaO. The brand’s passionate consumer following and nationwide whitespace are very compelling within the drive-thru beverage space. We are accelerating investments in the team, technology and infrastructure needed to support the next several hundred locations, and with Brian at the helm we believe HTeaO’s best years are ahead of it,” said Shravan Thadani, Partner at Trive Capital.
HTeaO is a beverage franchise offering sweetened and unsweetened iced teas, water, coffee and other drinks through in-store and drive-thru service.
For more information, visit www.HTeaO.com.
Source: HTeaO
