Gong Cha signs deal to open over 200 UK bubble tea stores

Gong Cha, one of the world’s fastest-growing bubble tea brands, has signed a franchise agreement to open an initial 225+ stores in the UK over the next few years.

The deal will create nearly 2,000 new jobs in the UK and is part of Gong Cha’s global expansion strategy to scale to 10,000 sites by 2032.

Founded in Taiwan in 2006 and headquartered in London since 2019, Gong Cha has over 2,100 locations across 28 countries.

Its teas are fully customisable with over 600 flavour combinations, with ingredients including brown sugar pearls, fruit jellies and salty cold foam.

Gong Cha currently operates 13 UK stores and has signed a new UK agreement with Jinziex, a new company led by Diljit Brar, chief executive the UK’s largest Costa franchise Goldex; Azha Rehman, founder and chief executive of Kaspa’s Desserts; and Steve Falle, managing director of WY&SF Ltd.

Jinziex’s first Gong Cha locations are expected to open in April with stores in Sidcup, Gravesend, Romford, and Hornchurch.

The UK bubble tea market is forecast to double in size by 2032 driven by its popularity with Gen Z and growing demand for customisation, according to Fortitude Business Insights.

Paul Reynish, global chief executive of Gong Cha, said: “As a market, the UK has huge potential for us. It’s a market that is constantly evolving, ripe with innovation, and made up of consumers willing to try new and exciting products.

“We firmly believe it is one of the most significant markets in the global F&B industry, and one of the reasons we relocated our Global HQ to London in 2019. Now, with our expanded footprint, we want to play a leading role in shaping the next decade of the UK’s food and beverage industry, while cementing Gong Cha as a household name. We can’t wait to show the UK how tea is meant to be.” 

In the US, Gong Cha is one of the largest bubble tea brands, having scaled to operate more than 250 stores across 20 states. It also has market leading positions in Australia, New Zealand, Korea and Japan and, in Europe, has expanded to France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Over the next decade, the group has ambitious targets to scale to more than 10,000 global locations, with a significant proportion of growth coming from new markets in Europe.