Bubble tea chain Gong Cha has announced plans to open more than 225 stores in the UK via the use of franchises.
The move is part of the company’s global strategy to reach 10,000 locations by 2032.
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The expansion will be spearheaded by Jinziex, a newly formed company led by Costa’s UK franchise Goldex chief executive Diljit Brar, British ice cream parlour chain Kaspa’s Desserts founder and chief executive Azha Rehman, and Steve Falle, managing director of WY&SF, a Costa Coffee franchise.
The franchise agreement with Jinziex is expected to generate 2,000 new jobs in the UK. Gong Cha currently operates 13 stores in the country.
Gong Cha global chief executive Paul Reynish was quoted by The Caterer: “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 believe it is one of the most significant markets in the global F&B [food and beverages] 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.”
Gong Cha was established in Taiwan in 2006 and has been operating its headquarters in London since 2019.
It currently has more than 2,100 locations in 28 countries.
The brand offers customisable teas, with more than 600 flavour combinations. Customers can personalise their drinks with ingredients such as brown sugar pearls, fruit jellies and its distinctive salty cold foam.
Jinziex is set to launch its first Gong Cha locations in April 2025 in Sidcup, Gravesend, Romford and Hornchurch.
Gong Cha also has more than 250 stores across 20 US states.
In the Asia Pacific region, the brand has footprints in Australia, New Zealand, Korea and Japan. In Europe, it has a presence in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
