Gong cha

Gong cha is a specialist in bubble tea (boba) and milk teas of Taiwanese origin. The drinks rest on freshly brewed loose-leaf tea, and the customer customizes each cup — the level of sugar, ice, and toppings like tapioca pearls, jelly, pudding, or milk foam. The menu spans brewed teas, milk teas, signature specials, smoothies, and coffee, so it offers hundreds of combinations rather than the simple coffee lineup of an ordinary café.

As a franchisee you get the brand system, recipes and a proprietary tea and ingredient supply chain, store design, point-of-sale and operations technology, marketing, and a mandatory operator and manager training program. What stays on you is the capital, securing and fitting out the location, hiring and leading the daily team, and upholding brand standards. Entry routes range from a single store to multi-unit and master franchise; in Europe the brand scales mainly via master and multi-unit partners.