Gong cha has signed new multi-unit franchise agreements in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in Portland, Maine, and in Nashville, Tennessee, further expanding its US footprint.
These agreements mark the Taiwanese bubble tea brand’s first entry into each of these states.
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Mark Treptow, vice-president of franchise sales and development for Gong cha Americas, stated: “These new markets represent the strength and scalability of the Gong cha model.
“We’re entering untapped regions with experienced, multi-unit operators who believe in the product and the opportunity, and these deals move us that much closer to our goal of 500 US stores by 2028.”
In Milwaukee, KGN Tea Co, led by Shehzad Ghaffar and Faiq Syed, has secured a five-unit franchise agreement.
Ghaffar stated: “After seeing how much our kids love bubble tea, we started researching the market and learned that tea ranks as the second-most consumed beverage worldwide — and that Gong cha was the category leader with strong US and global recognition. We realised this was a perfect fit for a simpler, high-potential business model in a rapidly growing segment.”
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By GlobalDataIn Portland, Maine, the franchise has been awarded to the Vacationland Tea Co, operated by Tafari and Nhi Thomas, who currently run multiple Johnny Rockets and Amato’s locations.
Tafari Thomas commented: “We’ve been fans of Gong cha for years. Every trip to Boston meant a stop at one of our favourite locations. We started looking to add a third concept to our portfolio, and realised Gong cha checked all the boxes — low startup costs, simpler operations, lower employee headcount and a brand we believed in personally.”
The Nashville location opened at the end of August 2025 in the Wedgewood-Houston neighbourhood at 1522 4th Avenue South, and is managed by the franchise group Siphony LLC.
A Gong cha press statement notes that it is seeking franchise partners in markets across North America, including Southern California, Nevada, Utah and the Southeastern US.
The brand operates 2,200 locations in 30 international markets.
Since entering the US market in 2014, Gong cha has opened 240 stores across 23 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico, with plans to exceed 500 locations in the Americas by 2028.
In June 2025, Gong cha signed a multi-unit agreement with Blu Tea Arizona to enter the Arizona market.
In May, Gong cha announced the appointment of Michael Nedelkovich Jr to lead growth in high-traffic, non-traditional venues.
