A long-vacant Burger King along one of Burnet’s busiest commercial corridors is finally coming back to life — only this time, burgers are being replaced by gallons of Texas-brewed tea.
HTeaO is transforming the former Burger King at 1408 S. Water Street into its newest Texas location, and unlike some projects that remain stuck on paper, work at this one is already underway.
A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing calls for the renovation of the existing 2,866-square-foot building into an HTeaO store. The project carries an estimated construction cost of $300,000, with work scheduled through October 1. View the TDLR project filing
But getting HTeaO to this particular property took an interesting turn.
HTeaO Was Originally Headed Somewhere Else
Before settling on the former Burger King, developers considered building HTeaO on city-owned property near Cary Johnson Parkway and South Water Street.
There was one expensive problem.
Developing that property would have required a retention pond that officials estimated could cost $375,000 or more. Instead, city officials worked with the developers on another possibility: breathe new life into an existing vacant restaurant.
That brought the former Burger King into the picture. Read more about the HTeaO development agreement
The move accomplishes something beyond simply adding another drink shop. Rather than developing another property from scratch, the project puts an empty commercial building along U.S. 281 back into productive use.
Burnet Put Some Money Behind the Deal
The Burnet Economic Development Corporation also approved a $200,000 performance agreement supporting the redevelopment.
That doesn’t mean the developer simply receives a $200,000 check.
Under the agreement, the project must meet several requirements, including investing at least $1.5 million and maintaining at least five full-time jobs annually for three consecutive years. The agreement also establishes deadlines and other requirements before the incentive can be paid. View Burnet’s meeting records
That $1.5 million investment requirement is considerably higher than the $300,000 construction cost listed with TDLR, but the numbers measure different things. The state filing covers the registered renovation project, while the city’s agreement deals with the broader investment required from the developer.
Work Is Already Underway
And this project has moved beyond approvals.
The sale of the former Burger King property officially closed during the week of August 7, according to City Manager David Vaughn. Renovation work began shortly afterward, and HTeaO branding has already started appearing on the former restaurant. See the latest Burnet construction update
That gives Burnet something residents haven’t always gotten with this property: visible progress.
The TDLR construction schedule currently targets October 1, 2026, for completion. However, an official opening date has not been announced.
So, What Exactly Is HTeaO?
For anyone who hasn’t encountered one yet, HTeaO takes iced tea considerably more seriously than the average drive-thru.
The Texas-born chain advertises more than 20 freshly brewed tea flavors, ranging from traditional sweet and unsweet tea to flavors such as Sweet Georgia Peach, Sweet Almond Green, Sweet Coconut and Sweet Wild Raspberry. Customers can also mix flavors to create their own combinations. Explore HTeaO’s teas and menu
The company has also been growing quickly across Texas and beyond, making Burnet another piece of a much larger expansion.
But this location comes with a particularly good local story.
Instead of leaving an old Burger King dark or developing another piece of property, Burnet and the developer found a way to reuse an existing building, avoid a costly site-development hurdle and bring another business onto the South Water Street corridor.
Soon, the old Burger King won’t be serving Whoppers anymore.
It’ll be serving a whole lot of sweet tea.