Gong Cha facts for kids
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| Industry | Food and beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
| Headquarters | , |
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Key people
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Wu Zhenhua (吳振華) (Founder) Martin Edward Berry (CEO) |
| Parent | Gong Cha Korea (70%) Gong Cha Global (30%) |
Gong Cha (Chinese: 貢茶; pinyin: Gòngchá) is a popular tea shop chain. It started in 2006 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Gong Cha sells many kinds of tea drinks.
The company grew very quickly. In 2009, it opened stores in Hong Kong. By 2012, Gong Cha had expanded to many countries. These included South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. By 2023, Gong Cha also opened stores in Panama, Belgium, and Portugal.
Contents
What Does the Name "Gong Cha" Mean?
The name "Gong Cha" comes from two Chinese characters. The first character, "貢", means "contribution" or "tribute." The second character, "茶", means "tea." So, "Gong Cha" means "tribute tea." This name refers to the best tea given to emperors in ancient China.
Gong Cha's Journey: From Taiwan to the World
Gong Cha began its journey in 2006 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The first store in Hong Kong opened in 2009. It was started by someone from Hong Kong who had lived in Taiwan.
By 2012, Gong Cha had 46 stores in Hong Kong. Many of these were in MTR stations and shopping centers. Gong Cha offers about 57 different drinks. These drinks come in seven main types. They include house specials, brewed tea, and milk tea. You can also find Creative Mix drinks, coffee, Healthy Series, and ice smoothies. Drinks are available in medium and large sizes. Some stores also sell tea sets and special teas. These include Bi-Luo-Chun Green Tea and Darjeeling Spring Tea. Some locations even offer food like "Mochi Waffles."
Who Owns Gong Cha Now?
In 2017, a big change happened. Kim Yeo-Jin (Hangul: 김여진; Hanja: 金汝貞), who owned Gong Cha Korea, bought 70% of the company. She did this with help from a company called Unison Capital.
Later in 2017, Gong Cha Korea also bought the main headquarters of Gong Cha. The CEO, Kim Soo-Min, shared plans to open stores in the Middle East and Latin America.
In 2019, another company, TA Associates, invested in Gong Cha. They later bought all of Gong Cha Korea. A UK company, GC Group BIDCO Limited, bought the remaining 30% of Gong Cha. In 2020, GC Group BIDCO was renamed Gong Cha Global. The company's main office then moved to the United Kingdom.
See also
- Bubble tea
- Tea house
- Tea culture
- List of companies of Taiwan
