HTeaO Doubles Down in Florida as U.S. Expansion Heats Up

Leading Iced Tea Franchise Appoints Franchise Candidate Advocate to Develop Florida and East Coast Regions

FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- HTeaO, the leading iced tea franchise, appoints Bob Slaughter as Franchise Candidate Advocate, as U.S. expansion heats up and tea is now at the forefront of the beverage industry. Based in Florida, Slaughter, plans to be "boots on the ground" to handle the increasing demand of franchise interest in Florida and surrounding states.

The first Florida location opened in Lakeland in 2019, and the second location opened in December of 2022 in Fishhawk, FL. Eight more agreements in the state have been signed and should be opening throughout 2023. The brand awarded and signed their 430^th franchise license last month, and is currently operating in 13 different states, projecting to have 500 locations open by the end of 2026.

As the Franchise Candidate Advocate for HTeaO, Slaughter will lead franchise development in Florida and the East Coast, helping to quickly expand the brand in new markets. With nearly 40 years of experience in franchising, Slaughter, has worked with numerous franchise concepts. He is well rounded in the industry, with extensive experience in development, real estate, site selection and lease negotiations, marketing, distribution, and logistics.

"Throughout my many years in the franchise industry, I have seen the importance of having a strong development process in place," said Slaughter. "Identifying strong franchise candidates and negotiating leases and site development are essential skills that set brands apart."

This position is the first region-specific role that HTeaO has assigned and is the first big step that the brand is taking to increase their presence across the Southeastern United States. Behind Bob is a robust team of support from the HTeaO home office, with over 40 full time support staff including many industry experts.

"Bob has always been a mentor to me and has played such a pivotal role in HTeaO's brand development and franchise growth," said Andrew Hawes, Chief Development Officer of HTeaO. "He came out of slight retirement to take over this role, and we are honored that he has become such an asset to the company."

HTeaO is a unique franchise concept that has perfected a simplistic business model, dealing primarily in iced tea. With all natural ingredients, the brand has created their own supply chain, to ensure each store receives all essential products, and helps keep costs inexpensive. Striving for precise consistency, each store is equipped with their own proprietary water plant, creating the purest tasting water.

About HTeaO

HTeaO is the leading iced tea franchise and is breaking into a niche category within the beverage industry. With a cost-effective business model, the brand operates their own supply chain, significantly lowering the cost of goods. HTeaO serves ultra-premium tea, water and coffee related products to customers in-store and through drive-thru. 24 handcrafted flavors of sweetened and unsweetened tea are sold at each location, created with a proprietary water filtration system, and 100% all natural ingredients. In early January this year, HTeaO announced a minority partnership with two Dallas based Private equity firms: Crux Capital and Trive Capital. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, and the partnership will help to ensure HTeaO's stable expansion. HTeaO believes in creating a welcoming atmosphere and makes a large effort to give back to the local community. For more information about the franchise opportunity, visit https://hteao.com/franchise/

SOURCE HTeaO