Gong cha’s new store in Brighton, its 13th in the UK | Photo credit: Gong cha

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Taiwan’s Gong Cha has opened its 13th store in the UK with and outlet in Brighton.

First launching in the UK in 2019 with a store in Manchester, the bubble tea chain also has a presence in London, Nottingham, Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle.
 
Led by UK-based Global CEO, Paul Reynish, Gong cha is currently pursuing an ambitious European expansion strategy and plans to reach 21 UK stores by the end of 2023.
 
In August 2022 the bubble tea chain opened its first store in Belgium and entered the Portuguese market in January 2023, its third European market.
 
“We’re delighted to launch our latest store in Brighton, expanding our presence in the UK to more than seven cities. As one of the UK’s favourite destinations, our opening in Brighton is another opportunity for us to showcase the strength, relevance, and adaptability of Gong cha’s world-class brand and offer,” said Paul Reynish, Global CEO, Gong cha.
 
Founded in Taiwan in 1996, Gong cha currently operates more than 1,900 stores across 22 countries, including Australia, Canada, the US, Cambodia, South Korea, Japan and Indonesia.
 
Underlining the international scope of the brand, Gong cha operates just 32 stores in its native Taiwanese market.
 
The bubble tea chain said it is seeking to open a new store every day on average in 2023
 
According to research cited by Gong cha, the global bubble tea market is projected to be worth approximately £4.3bn by 2027, with Europe expected to achieve the fastest growth. 
 
Alongside European expansion, the company is also targeting 500 US stores by 2025. It currently operates approximately 120 stores in the country. 

In January 2023, Gong cha appointed four franchise experts, including former senior executives from Dunkin’ and Krispy Kreme, to drive expansion across the US, Canada, Mexico and the wider Latin Americas.