Gong Cha franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a Gong Cha franchise takes $184,750 – $627,060 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $64,250 – $101,700. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 6% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 1%. To qualify, Gong Cha asks for $150,000 in liquid cash and a $250,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Gong Cha franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $64,250 | $101,700 | $64,250 to $101,700 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $184,750 | $627,060 | $184,750 to $627,060 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $250,000 | $250,000 | $250,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $150,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $184,750 | $627,060 | $184,750 to $627,060 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 6% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 1% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
See the full Gong Cha cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Gong Cha's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Gong Cha's disclosed cost sits against the Food & Beverage category:
- Minimum startup cost of $184,750 — about 35% below the Food & Beverage median of $282,500.
- Initial franchise fee of $64,250 — about 1.8× the Food & Beverage median of $35,000.
Category medians are computed from the Food & Beverage brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Food & Beverage franchises
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How Gong Cha's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2019–2019: began the window at 12 units; 0 units opened, 0 closed, ending at 12 units.
Not enough history to compute a survival figure — we need at least three years of unit data, and we don't extrapolate.
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Gong Cha or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask Gong Cha for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What this data can't tell you
Everything on this page comes from disclosure filings — fees, ranges, and unit counts. Four questions that matter just as much are not in any filing we can source, so we say so instead of guessing:
- The hours and the labor
- No dataset field says whether Gong Cha is a manage-from-a-laptop business or a 60-hour week in disguise. Item 15 of the FDD states whether you're obligated to run the business personally, and Item 11 lists what the franchisor actually does for you — then ask current owners what their week looks like (validation calls), not the sales team.
- How hands-on the ownership really is
- "Semi-absentee" is a pitch, not a filing field. Treat any hands-off claim as unverified until it's consistent with Item 15 and with what multiple current franchisees tell you — what absentee ownership actually means.
- Your territory — whether it's protected, and whether it's open
- Two territory questions sit outside our data. Whether Gong Cha grants a protected or exclusive area is set in Item 12 of the FDD and varies brand to brand — some grant none, and the carve-outs (online sales, national accounts) matter as much as the map. And filing data can't say what's open in your market this month; only Gong Cha can confirm current availability. Ask both before you inquire, and get the answer in writing.
- What owners earn
- Covered honestly above: our dataset has no earnings fields, the only primary source is the brand's own Item 19, and here is how to read that evidence.
About the Gong Cha franchise
Gong Cha is a food & beverage franchisor with 12 units at the end of 2019 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2019 and 2019, it began the window at 12 units; its filings record 0 unit openings and 0 closures, ending at 12 units. Its parent company is Gong cha Americas, Inc..
Disclosure filings report 2 franchise-related lawsuits. Review Item 3 of the FDD. (as of 2026-05)
From the franchisor's materials
The franchised business being offered is Gong cha®, which primarily offers and sells a variety of bubble tea blends, coffees and teas, smoothies, juices, and other related products using proprietary methods of operation. (Cover page cite: "primarily offers and sells a variety of bubble tea blends, coffees and teas, smoothies, juices, and other related products using proprietary methods of operation.")
Gong Cha franchise: quick answers
- How much does a Gong Cha franchise cost?
- $184,750 – $627,060 all-in to open, per Gong Cha's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Gong Cha units are there?
- 12 units at the end of 2019 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).