What Gong Cha Group does

Gong Cha Group is a privately-held bubble tea (QSR) brand founded in Taiwan in 2006 as a pioneer of cheese cap tea, currently owned by American private equity firm TA Associates following its $288 million acquisition in 2019. The company operates a global franchise and company-owned retail model with over 2,100 stores across 30+ countries and regions, including approximately 240 stores in the United States, serving individual consumers seeking high-quality freshly brewed whole-leaf tea beverages.

The core product portfolio centers on three beverage categories: signature milk tea (bubble tea with customizable toppings such as tapioca pearls, grass jelly, and pudding), fruit teas blended with fresh fruit and purées, and smoothies. The company's underlying production technology is in-store freshly brewed whole-leaf tea prepared by trained tea experts, with green, black, oolong, and specialty tea varieties serving as the foundational ingredient across the menu.

Revenue is generated through two primary streams: direct retail sales from company-owned stores selling beverages and toppings, and franchise fees plus ongoing royalties collected from franchise operators. The franchise offering includes access to nearly 20 years of brand equity, advanced operational technology, and support for innovative product launches. The company is currently being prepared for sale by TA Associates with JPMorgan Chase engaged as financial advisor, with a potential valuation of approximately $2 billion.

Name

Gong Cha Group

Legal name

Gong Cha Group

Website

https://gong-cha.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Gong Cha Group is a Taiwan-founded bubble tea QSR brand operating 2,100+ stores across 30+ countries through a franchise and company-owned retail model, serving individual consumers with freshly brewed whole-leaf tea beverages including bubble tea, fruit teas, and smoothies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kaohsiung

HQ country

Taiwan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Gong Cha generates revenue by granting franchise rights to operators, collecting franchise fees and ongoing royalties based on store performance
2. Company-Owned Store Sales: Direct retail revenue from company-owned bubble tea stores selling beverages and toppings to consumers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gong Cha Group operates a global bubble tea quick-service restaurant (QSR) brand selling freshly brewed whole-leaf tea beverages, including signature milk teas, fruit teas, and smoothies with customizable toppings. The company distributes these products through a franchise-led network of over 2,100 stores spanning 30+ countries, complemented by a smaller portfolio of company-owned retail outlets.

Product overview

Gong Cha is a multi-award-winning bubble tea (QSR) brand offering freshly brewed whole-leaf tea-based beverages. The product portfolio centers on three core drink categories: signature milk tea (bubble tea), fruit teas, and smoothies, all customizable with toppings such as tapioca pearls, grass jelly, and pudding. The company operates a franchise model providing technology-enabled operational support, with stores spanning over 2,100 locations across 30+ countries. The brand is positioned as a multi-award-winning QSR brand recognized for customer experience and franchise excellence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bubble Tea (Signature Milk Tea) Gong Cha's flagship beverage featuring freshly brewed whole-leaf tea with customizable sweetness levels and toppings such as tapioca pearls, grass jelly, and pudding; sold to consumers at company-owned and franchised retail stores globally.
• Fruit Tea Refreshing tea-based beverages blended with fresh fruit and fruit purées, offering light and citrus-forward flavors; sold to consumers through Gong Cha's global retail store network.
• Smoothies Ice-blended frozen beverages combining tea, fruit, and various toppings for a chilled consumption experience; sold to consumers at Gong Cha retail stores.
• Franchise Partnership Program A franchise opportunity granting operators access to Gong Cha's brand, advanced operational technology, training, and ongoing innovative product launches; targets multi-unit growth operators seeking to bring the bubble tea brand to their communities.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• HEYTEA (喜茶): HEYTEA is a premium Chinese bubble tea brand known for cheese-foam tea, similar to Gong Cha's pioneering category. While currently more concentrated in China, it represents an emerging global competitor in the modern bubble tea space.

Broad incumbents

• Jamba: Jamba is a U.S. publicly-traded smoothie and beverage QSR chain with broad menu offerings including smoothies and juices. It overlaps with Gong Cha in beverage-led QSR formats and nonalcoholic beverage bar occasions, though it does not specialize in bubble tea.

Direct peers

• Share Tea: Share Tea is a Taiwan-based bubble tea franchise with global locations, offering a similar menu of milk teas, fruit teas, and specialty beverages through a comparable franchised retail model.
• Koi Thé: Koi Thé is a Taiwan-based bubble tea chain with significant international presence, particularly in Asia and the U.S. It is a direct peer to Gong Cha, offering similar milk tea and specialty beverages through franchised stores.
• CoCo Bubble Tea: CoCo Bubble Tea is one of the largest global bubble tea chains originating from Taiwan, operating thousands of stores worldwide with a similar franchise and company-owned store model, making it a direct comparable to Gong Cha in scale and product offering.
• Tiger Sugar: Tiger Sugar is a Taiwan-founded bubble tea brand famous for its brown sugar boba, operating globally and competing head-to-head with Gong Cha in the premium bubble tea QSR category.
• Chatime: Chatime is a Taiwan-origin global bubble tea franchise with hundreds of stores across multiple continents. It directly competes with Gong Cha in product, customer base, and franchise-led expansion.
• The Alley (鹿角巷): The Alley is a Taiwan-origin bubble tea brand with international franchised stores, competing directly with Gong Cha on premium milk tea and brown sugar products in markets such as North America, Asia, and Australia.
• Xing Fu Tang (幸福堂): Xing Fu Tang is a Taiwan-origin brown sugar bubble tea brand rapidly expanding globally through franchising, directly competing with Gong Cha in the premium boba segment across Asia and North America.

Regional players

• Boba Guys: Boba Guys is a U.S.-based premium bubble tea chain operating primarily in California with a similar freshly brewed, quality-focused positioning to Gong Cha, though at a smaller regional scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GongChaTaiwan
• Instagraminstagram.com/gongchatea
• TikToktiktok.com/@gongchausa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gongcha-head-office

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gong Cha Group