Crystal Wise
Justin Howe
Every great road trip has its stops — the kind where you stretch your legs, breathe in the moment, and realize you're part of something bigger. For HTeaO, the Fort Worth-born iced tea phenomenon, 2024 felt a lot like that. Nine new stores. Nine new pins on the map. Nine new chances to connect.
From the small-town charm of Sulphur Springs to the wide-open Kansas skies of Gardner, HTeaO isn’t just selling tea. It’s creating a culture. And as the brand’s co-founder and CEO Justin Howe puts it, “Together, we’re not just growing our presence — we’re fostering meaningful connections in every community we serve, working toward making HTeaO a beloved household name nationwide.”
It’s easy to see what’s pulling people in. Walk into an HTeaO, and it’s not just the tea — though that proprietary water filtration system and 100% natural ingredients sure don’t hurt. It’s the vibe. It’s over 20 flavors of iced tea, each one like a mixtape track that hits just right, and the steady hum of drive-thru windows offering a dose of refreshment for life on the go.
But HTeaO’s journey isn’t just about opening doors. It’s about opening hearts. Their third annual Round-Up campaign raised almost $119,000 in October, every penny funding Hope Kits for breast cancer patients through the Ryan Palmer Foundation Breast Cancer Initiative. It’s small acts like these that remind us why these stops along the road matter.
And then there’s the coffee. Yes, coffee — thanks to their ongoing partnership with Free Rein Coffee Company. This winter, they rolled out the Peppermint Mocha Latte, a perfect holiday hit blending peppermint, dark chocolate, and Free Rein’s Homestead espresso. It's the kind of seasonal sip that feels like it was made for cold nights and warm conversations.
Behind the scenes, HTeaO added fresh faces to keep the momentum going: Shane Clark as chief development officer and Michael Stoddard as vice president of IT. Because even a fast-growing tea empire needs a little IT magic and someone to guide its next big steps.
From the heart of Fort Worth to every new community it touches, HTeaO is proving it’s more than a brand — it’s a story. And with every cup poured and every connection made, this road trip is just getting started.
