The London-headquartered bubble tea chain opened 240 new stores and entered five new markets in 2024, including first sites in the MENA region
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Gong cha ended 2024 with 2,162 outlets across 28 markets globally | Photo credit: Gong cha
Gong cha has credited international expansion for driving robust group sales growth in 2024.
Amid the soaring popularity of bubble tea around the world, the Taiwanese bubble tea chain posted record system-wide sales above $600m for the 12 months ended 31 December 2024.
In a press release, Gong cha highlighted strong growth in Japan and South Korea, as well as the US – an important growth market for the brand.
Gong cha made its US debute in 2014 and currently operates over 230 stores across 21 US states under a master franchise model. In March 2024, the operator launched a direct franchising programme to enter new US states for the first time, including Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada, Illinois and Tennessee, as well as facilitate expansion in the wider Americas region.
London-headquartered Gong cha opened 240 new stores and entered five new markets in 2024, including its first sites in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) with debuts in Saudi Arabia and Morocco. The launches are part of a long-term deal with franchise group Shahia Foods to open up to 300 Gong cha stores across the MENA region.
Gong cha ended 2024 with 2,162 outlets across 28 markets globally and expects to enter a further six new markets in 2025, with a focus on Europe. The group, which has a longer-term goal to reach 10,000 stores globally by 2032, will also roll out digital kiosks and new beverage dispensing technology this year to increase speed-of-service and drive operational efficiencies across its estate.
“It’s been a fantastic year for Gong cha. We’ve invested heavily in our supply chain and operations to bring the best whole-leaf tea to consumers, expanded our footprint through new stores and geographies, and focused on making our existing stores more efficient and profitable for our franchisees. Looking ahead, we see huge potential for Gong cha to become a truly global brand,” said Paul Reynish, Global CEO, Gong cha.
Founded in Taiwan in 2006, Gong cha relocated its global headquarters to London in 2019 after being acquired by private equity firm TA Associates. In March 2025, the bubble tea chain signed an agreement with new franchise consortium Jinziex to open at least 225 stores in the UK over the ‘coming years’ – which if realised would make the UK one of its largest markets globally.