Taiwanese bubble tea chain Gong Cha hits US$600m in global sales

Taiwanese bubble tea chain Gong Cha has reached US$600 million in global system sales for the 12 months ended December, driven by its rapid global expansion.

Group revenue also rose 12 percent year-on-year to US$190 million as the brand expanded operations in Japan, South Korea, and the US.

The company opened 240 new stores and entered five new markets: Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Mauritius, Honduras and Puerto Rico. Gong Cha now operates 2162 stores across 28 countries.

“It’s been a fantastic year for Gong Cha,” said Paul Reynish, global CEO. “We’ve invested heavily in our supply chain and operations, expanded our footprint through new stores and geographies, and focused on making our existing stores more efficient and profitable for our franchisees.”

The company recently introduced a new store format, Gong Cha 2.0, alongside a digital kitchen system that features ordering kiosks and automated drink machines.

The brand also launched several marketing campaigns, including a high-profile collaboration with Final Fantasy XIV and limited-time drink offerings, resulting in more than 1.3 billion media impressions last year.

“Looking ahead, we see huge potential for Gong Cha to become a global brand,” Reynish added.

Founded in Taiwan in 2006, Gong Cha relocated its global headquarters to London in 2019. The company plans to enter at least six new markets this year and reach 10,000 stores globally by 2032.