Gong cha, the bubble tea chain with nearly 2,200 locations across 33 markets, is entering the U.S. airport foodservice channel for the first time, announcing a location at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport slated to open before year-end 2026. The unit will be operated in partnership with Kind Hospitality, an airport concessions specialist led by President and CEO Nava Singam.

The Format

The Phoenix store is built on Gong cha's recently introduced 2.0 operating platform, which supports footprints ranging from approximately 150 to 600 square feet — spanning kiosks and compact inline configurations. The model employs automation capable of producing a beverage in under one minute using one to two employees per shift. Crucially for airport landlords, the format requires no walk-in coolers or ventilation hoods, reducing build-out complexity and lease negotiation friction in terminals where back-of-house space is scarce.

Why Airports, Why Now

Airport foodservice has become a competitive battleground for fast-growing beverage and quick-service restaurant brands as passenger volumes at U.S. hubs continue to recover and exceed pre-pandemic highs. High dwell times and a captive consumer base willing to pay premium prices make terminals an attractive distribution channel for customizable beverage concepts, a segment that has expanded sharply over the past three years.

"Airports are a natural evolution for Gong cha as we continue expanding into high-traffic, non-traditional environments," said Michael Nedelkovich, Vice President of U.S. Non-Traditional Franchise Development. "Our model was intentionally designed for operational efficiency, flexibility, and speed, making it especially well-suited for airport settings where consumers expect premium quality and convenience without long wait times."

Broader Expansion Context

Gong cha currently operates more than 240 locations across 24 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and has ranked first in the Tea category on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500® list for five consecutive years through 2026. The brand has publicly targeted more than 500 units across the Americas by 2028, implying it must roughly double its current Western Hemisphere footprint within roughly two years. Non-traditional venues — airports, transit hubs, stadiums, and similar high-volume sites — are central to that acceleration plan.

The company is actively recruiting concessionaire partners and experienced airport operators for additional U.S. locations beyond Phoenix. The strategy mirrors moves by other premium beverage franchise operators pursuing non-traditional venue growth, where lower square-footage requirements and high throughput can generate strong unit economics relative to conventional strip-mall or mall-corridor locations. Food & Beverage Magazine has tracked the broader premiumization of airport beverage retail as a sustained trend reshaping terminal concession mixes.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.