Milktea chain Gong Cha is expanding into Arizona via a multi-unit franchise agreement with Blu Tea Arizona. 

The deal will bring new locations to Tempe, Mesa, and Chandler, strengthening the brand’s expansion strategy in the market. 

“When we first explored diversifying our franchise portfolio with a beverage concept, we were looking for a category leader with strong demand, a best-in-class product, and a scalable model,” said Fernando Ochoa, president of Blu Tea Arizona.

“We see a strong opportunity to continue to scale into Arizona with a multi-unit deal. We plan to grow quickly with multiple stores across the Phoenix region.”

With more than 240 locations in 21 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico, Gong Cha is accelerating its growth in the Western US, aiming to reach more than 500 domestic locations by 2028.

Last year, Gong Cha launched a direct franchising program in the US after a decade of a master franchise model.