HTeaO Appoints Brian Wise Chief Executive Officer

HTeaO, the nation's starring iced beverage franchise, announced the assignment of Brian Wise arsenic Chief Executive Officer. Wise, who astir precocious served arsenic Chief Operating Officer of Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, joins HTeaO arsenic the Company enters its adjacent signifier of nationalist expansion. His assignment follows an further maturation concern completed successful April 2026 by Crux Capital and Trive Capital, the 2 Dallas-based backstage equity firms that archetypal partnered with HTeaO successful January 2023 and present clasp a bulk involvement successful the Company. HTeaO Co-Founder Justin Howe volition modulation to the relation of Executive Chairman of the Board. Howe volition stay engaged successful the Company's semipermanent strategy, marque imaginativeness and merchandise innovation, moving intimately with Wise and the enforcement enactment team.

The CEO assignment and further fiscal enactment travel amid sustained momentum for HTeaO. The Company has grown to much than 180 locations crossed 11 states and was named to the 2026 Inc. 5000 database of America's fastest-growing backstage companies. Alongside its accelerated expansion, HTeaO is making important investments successful the people, exertion and infrastructure required to enactment a strategy galore times its existent size. Recent investments see respective elder enactment additions, expanded proviso concatenation capabilities, and enhanced franchisee enactment systems.

"Building HTeaO into the class person it is contiguous has been 1 of the top privileges of my life," said Justin Howe, Executive Chairman of HTeaO. "Brian is an exceptional person who understands what makes this marque special, and I person implicit assurance successful wherever he'll pb HTeaO next."

Wise brings astir 2 decades of acquisition wrong 1 of the country's astir palmy fast-casual franchise systems. He joins HTeaO aft much than 7 years connected the firm enactment squad of Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, wherever helium astir precocious served arsenic Chief Operating Officer pursuing roles arsenic Senior Vice President of Operations and Director of Franchise Management. During his tenure connected the enactment team, Freddy's expanded to astir 600 restaurants crossed 37 states and into Canada portion strengthening the training, exertion and operational systems that supported that growth. Before joining the firm team, Wise spent 15 years arsenic a Partner of 1 of Freddy's largest franchisee groups, giving him firsthand acquisition arsenic an relation and a heavy knowing of what franchisees request to succeed.