Fuse Frozen Co. will open its first Atlanta-area location early next year. It will open at 925 Virginia Ave. in Hapeville, founder Justin Henshaw told What Now Atlanta.
Justin and Brie Henshaw launched Fuse Frozen Co. in 2012 on St. Simons Island and have since expanded the family business to include three locations, including a second location on St. Simons Island and one on Jekyll Island.
The team just ventured into franchising, though the brand, which focuses on frozen yogurt, custard, gelato and sorbet, has been receiving inquiries for years.
“We were getting franchise requests from the very beginning. Everybody always assumed that we were already a franchise, but we tell them we’re an independent brand — a mom-and-pop business,” Henshaw said. “But because our brand is what it is and our product is what it is, people just assume we are a chain.”
The Hapeville location will be one of the first two franchise locations, joining another one heading to St. Augustine, Fla. Terrance and Roxanne Richardson will be the franchise owners for the Hapeville location. They first became acquainted with the brand when visiting the shop on Jekyll Island.
The Hapeville space will be about 1,000 square feet and will feature Fuse’s signature bright color scheme and variety of flavors.
“The interior will be unique because we are going to unveil some of the newest designs Fuse has to offer,” Terrance told What Now Atlanta. “It’s going to have high ceilings, a very clean and chic look and with the Fuse colors and designs, it’s going to be eye-popping. Our toppings bar will be a huge focal point that customers will see immediately when they enter the store.”
The spot will open in Q1 of 2026, likely around February or March. Eventually, the Richardsons plan to expand to several locations in the Atlanta area.
For the brand as a whole, Henshaw sees further franchise expansion in the coming years. After these two initial stores open, he hopes to begin to develop the Southeast, focusing first on communities in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
“We love to be part of a community. We’re all about bringing families together and community together,” Henshaw said. “We love to be on the corner of life and life — next to a ballpark, next to schools, so people can come see us after they’re done with their softball practice or come study and get a treat after school. We would love to be very rooted in communities.”
