Gong Cha
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersJericho, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Gong Cha firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gong Cha
- Legal name
- Gong cha
- Website
- https://gongchausa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gong Cha industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Bubble Tea and Beverage Franchise
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bubble Tea (Boba) Shops (THAFAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Tea Rooms & Tea Cafes (THAFADAF), Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE)
Keywords
Where Gong Cha is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Jericho
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices11 records
Markets served
Gong Cha business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Franchise Fees and Royalties: Gong Cha generates revenue through franchise fees and ongoing royalties from franchise operators. The company has been transitioning from master franchising to direct franchising model in the US, acquiring 170 existing locations and granting development rights to experienced multi-unit operators.
- Systemwide Store Sales: Revenue generated from franchisee store sales. The brand generates over $500 million in annual systemwide sales across its global footprint of approximately 2,200 stores.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tea-infused soups priced at $3 for limited time at participating US locations |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bottled Jasmine Milk Tea at 188 yen (tax included) in Japan |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
Gong Cha product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gong Cha is a global bubble tea franchise that sells freshly prepared premium tea beverages, milk teas, fruit teas, and specialty drinks through nearly 2,200 company-owned and franchised retail stores across 33+ markets. The company controls its supply chain from owned tea farms in Taiwan, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka and supports franchisees with proprietary beverage automation technology, self-order kiosks, and a mobile ordering and loyalty platform.
Product overview
Gong Cha is a global bubble tea franchise offering a portfolio of freshly prepared premium tea and bubble tea beverages. The core product lineup includes signature milk teas (Black Milk Tea with Pearl, Brown Sugar Milk with Pearls, Taro Milk Tea with Pearls), fruit teas (QQ Passionfruit Green Tea), and specialty drinks (Matcha Strawberry Milk Tea), with seasonal offerings like Pumpkin Spice Milk Tea. The company has expanded into adjacent categories including tea-infused soups and retail bottled beverages (Jasmine Milk Tea in partnership with Kirin Beverage). Technology offerings include the Gong Cha 2.0 platform featuring Super Wu automated beverage technology and self-order kiosks, supported by a mobile app for ordering and loyalty rewards. Gong Cha operates nearly 2,200 locations across 33 markets globally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Black Milk Tea with Pearl Rich and creamy black tea blended with milk for a smooth milk tea experience served with chewy tapioca pearls; sold to consumers at Gong Cha retail stores.
- QQ Passionfruit Green Tea Green tea infused with passionfruit flavor paired with chewy pearls and coconut jelly; part of the fruit tea series sold at Gong Cha stores.
- Brown Sugar Milk with Pearls Smooth milk combined with the rich flavor of brown sugar and chewy pearls; caffeine-free milk tea beverage for consumers.
- Taro Milk Tea with Pearls Creamy and smooth taro plant milk tea with tapioca pearls sold at Gong Cha stores.
- Matcha Strawberry Milk Tea Matcha tea blended with sweet strawberry for a creamy and refreshing specialty milk tea sold to consumers.
- Pumpkin Spice Milk Tea Seasonal fall milk tea featuring pumpkin spice flavor with tapioca pearls; limited-time consumer offering.
- Jasmine Milk Tea (Bottled) Ready-to-drink bottled jasmine milk tea based on the in-store Jasmine Green Milk Tea recipe, manufactured and distributed by Kirin Beverage for retail sale at Seven-Eleven Japan.
- Tea-Infused Soups Savory tea-infused soup category including Tom Yum Soup and Mushroom Truffle Soup, representing a beverage-to-food crossover expansion sold to consumers at participating US Gong Cha stores.
- Gong Cha Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android enabling customers to customize drinks by ice, sweetness, and toppings, save favorite orders for fast reordering, and earn loyalty rewards with each purchase.
- Gong Cha Franchise Program Franchise program granting multi-unit development rights to experienced foodservice operators to open and operate Gong Cha bubble tea stores under the brand system, with operational support, supply chain access, and the Gong Cha 2.0 store platform.
Companies that use Gong Cha
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Gong Cha technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability1 record
Feature3 records
Gong Cha partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Kirin BeverageminorPartnership for bottled Jasmine Milk Tea product launch in Japan. Kirin Beverage manufactures and distributes the 400ml PET bottle product based on Gong Cha's popular in-store seasonal flavor, available exclusively at 7-Eleven stores.
- SumUpcoreExclusive partnership with SumUp to enhance digital operations across more than 400 stores in the Americas. Collaboration involves integrated platform streamlining POS, kiosks, mobile ordering, and loyalty programs.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Gong Cha competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Happy Lemon: Happy Lemon is a global bubble tea and specialty tea franchise with significant presence in Asia and the US. It competes with Gong Cha on franchise scale and signature flavored tea offerings.
- The Alley: The Alley is a Taiwanese-origin bubble tea chain with strong US and Canadian presence, focused on premium tasting notes and signature drinks. It is a direct competitor to Gong Cha in the specialty bubble tea category.
- Tiger Sugar: Tiger Sugar is a Taiwan-origin bubble tea brand built around signature brown sugar boba drinks, with global franchise expansion including a US presence. It competes directly with Gong Cha on premium positioning and signature beverage innovation.
- Chatime: Chatime is a global Taiwanese-origin bubble tea franchise operating thousands of stores across Asia, the Americas, and other regions. It is the most direct global franchise competitor to Gong Cha with similar target consumers, product portfolio, and franchise-led GTM.
- CoCo Bubble Tea (CoCo都可): CoCo is one of the largest global bubble tea chains with thousands of stores across Asia, North America, and Europe. It competes head-to-head with Gong Cha on menu, price point, and franchise scale.
- Kung Fu Tea: Kung Fu Tea is a major US-based bubble tea franchise with hundreds of stores concentrated on the East Coast. It directly competes with Gong Cha's US expansion plan and targets the same Gen-Z/millennial consumer segment.
- Lollicup (Lollicup Fresh): Lollicup is a US-based bubble tea and cafe franchise with hundreds of locations, also serving as a major boba supply distributor. It directly competes with Gong Cha on US bubble tea franchising and has overlap on supply chain and store operations.
- Share Tea: Share Tea is a Taiwanese bubble tea franchise with global locations including US markets. It overlaps directly with Gong Cha on menu, franchise model, and target demographic.
Emerging players
- Boba Guys: Boba Guys is a US-based premium bubble tea chain with strong West Coast brand recognition, founded on a craft tea sourcing ethos similar to Gong Cha's premium positioning. Comparable as an emerging direct competitor focused on the US market.
Broad incumbents
- 85°C Bakery Cafe: 85°C is a Taiwan-origin bakery cafe chain offering tea, coffee, and baked goods with global locations including the US. It is a broader incumbent competitor in the cafe/beverage space where Gong Cha also operates, overlapping on tea and food menu offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gong Cha social profiles
Digital presenceGong Cha financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gong Cha leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Gong Cha funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gong Cha M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gong Cha
What does Gong Cha do?
Gong Cha is a global bubble tea franchise that sells freshly prepared premium tea beverages, milk teas, fruit teas, and specialty drinks through nearly 2,200 company-owned and franchised retail stores across 33+ markets. The company controls its supply chain from owned tea farms in Taiwan, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka and supports franchisees with proprietary beverage automation technology, self-order kiosks, and a mobile ordering and loyalty platform.
Is Gong Cha a public or private company?
Gong Cha is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Gong Cha founded?
Gong Cha was founded in 2006. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Gong Cha based?
Gong Cha is headquartered in Jericho, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gong Cha make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Franchise Fees and Royalties are the primary driver. The others are systemwide Store Sales.
Who are Gong Cha's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Happy Lemon, The Alley, Tiger Sugar, Chatime, CoCo Bubble Tea (CoCo都可), Kung Fu Tea, Lollicup (Lollicup Fresh) and Share Tea. Boba Guys is listed as an emerging player. 85°C Bakery Cafe is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Gong Cha have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gong Cha.
What industry is Gong Cha in?
Gong Cha's product category is Specialty Bubble Tea and Beverage Franchise. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAKAC, Bubble Tea (Boba) Shops, with a secondary code of THAFADAF, Tea Rooms & Tea Cafes. Its NAICS code is 31192 and its SIC code is 2080.