[Editor’s note: The following article has been updated according to Gong Cha’s statement on the temporary closures.]
Gong Cha shuts down all its Singapore stores again
Taiwanese bubble tea brand Gong Cha reportedly shut down all of its stores in Singapore yesterday (Oct 1), with all its Singaporean websites and social media platforms unavailable.
According to an article by Mothership, several posts on social media have noted the closure of many stores in recent months, with one Google review noting that its Plaza Singapura outlet has been replaced by another Taiwanese bubble tea brand Chi Cha San Chen.
In-person checks by Mothership also revealed that several outlets have indeed closed: a sign at its Nex outlet stating that the store is “closed for maintenance” and boxes could be seen at its Eunos Crescent store.
An additional search on GrabFood and foodpanda also found that all outlets are listed as closed, with 15 listings on GrabFood and five on foodpanda.
The brand’s second departure from Singapore
This isn’t the first time Gong Cha has left the Singaporean market. It first launched in the city-state in 2009 under a franchise led by Rodney Tang, General Manager of RTG Holdings. The franchise was eventually sold to Gong Cha Korea, and Tang eventually left to launch a homegrown bubble tea brand, LiHo.
Gong Cha temporarily exited Singapore in 2016, after Royal Tea Taiwan, the company owning the brand, did not renew a previous franchise agreement. It made a comeback in December 2017 under a new master franchisee led by Mr Kang Puay Seng, the co-founder and former managing director of local soy milk brand Mr Bean.
Thankfully, the closures are temporary
This sudden closure came as a surprise, and it turns out to be only temporary.
According to a media statement by Gong Cha Global, the brand has decided not to renew its current agreement with the current Master franchisee. It will relaunch in Singapore with new local franchisees as part of a ‘Gong Cha 2.0’ revamp.
Paul Reynish, Global CEO of Gong Cha, described Gong Cha 2.0 as a technology-led store design that has been introduced in its Japan and South Korea outlets. He noted that customer wait times have significantly reduced, and the number of repeat visits and customer satisfaction have increased since its upgrade.
“This will give us a really strong platform to realise our growth potential in this fantastic market and build a market-leading position,” wrote Reynish. “This is not a goodbye, but rather a ‘see you soon!’”
- Read more news articles we have covered in Singapore here.
Featured Image: Chris Tan via Google Maps, screenshot by Vulcan Post
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