# Gong cha Franchise Funding for Existing Owners

> Funding for existing Gong cha owners: beverage makers, tea brewing and sealing equipment, tapioca and tea inventory and staffing, read from store deposits.

Source: https://mfebusinessloans.com/franchise-funding/brands/gong-cha/ (Merchant Fund Express, updated 2026-10-21)

## The short answer

Already running a Gong cha store and need capital? Merchant Fund Express funds existing Gong cha owners with business loans, merchant cash advances, revenue-based financing, lines of credit, equipment financing and working capital, from $25,000 to $5,000,000. We read your deposits after weekly franchisor drafts and the proprietary tea and tapioca orders. A complete file gets a same-day decision, and funding often follows the next business day.

## Who is this page for?

Owners of open Gong cha bubble tea stores, most often in-line units in strip or shopping malls, plus kiosks, campus stores and combination stores shared with another brand. There is no fryer or grease trap; instead each store runs an intelligent beverage maker synced to ordering kiosks, tea brewers with refresh timers, cup sealers and tapioca cooking, and buys proprietary tea and tapioca ingredients from the franchisor's supply affiliate.
Read it with the coffee and beverage franchise sector guide and our coffee and beverage shop industry page.

## What the franchisor publishes

Gong cha: facts from official sources
Franchisor: Gong cha USA Franchising, LLC (Boston, Massachusetts) (source)
Parent company: Gong cha Americas, Inc.; ultimate parent Gong Cha Limited (London) (source)
Initial franchise fee: $37,000 per single store (FDD issued March 25, 2026) (source)
Royalty: 6% of weekly Net Sales (source)
Advertising fund: Brand marketing fee of 1% of weekly net sales, may rise to 2%; a regional cooperative fee of up to 2% may also apply (source)
Liquid assets / net worth asked of new franchisees: $150,000 and $500,000 net worth (published wording) (source)
Locations: 241 in the United States as of December 31, 2025 (2026 FDD) (source)
Published formats: In-line store of 500 to 1,500 sq ft; free-standing in high-traffic areas; kiosk; university campus; combination store with another brand (source)
US franchising status: Actively franchising (unit and area development); new US master franchises no longer offered (source)
Checked Oct 2026 against official sources: the franchisor's own franchising site, its FDD or SEC filings, or the SBA Franchise Directory. Figures change; confirm current numbers in the latest Franchise Disclosure Document. Figures we could not confirm from an official source are left out.

## Every way to fund your Gong cha location

Already running a Gong cha location and need capital? Merchant Fund Express funds existing franchise owners with every product below. Terms depend on the business's revenue and history.
Franchise business loan: A term loan for a planned remodel or a second ordering station, sized from store deposits.
Merchant cash advance: Card-settlement repayment for a mall or campus store with steady daily tickets.
Revenue-based financing: Payments that follow sales through semester breaks and mall traffic swings.
Business line of credit: A revolving line for tea leaves, tapioca, milk, fruit and cups ahead of summer.
Equipment financing: Beverage makers, tea brewers, sealers and refrigeration financed on a vendor quote.
Working capital: Short capital for staffing, a repair or a slow stretch between seasons.

## Which problems do Gong cha owners bring to a funding review?

Beverage maker and sealer downtime
When the beverage maker, a tea brewer or a cup sealer fails, kiosk orders back up; equipment financing on a quote replaces it without draining inventory cash.
Tapioca and tea inventory
Tea is brewed on refresh timers and tapioca is prepared through the day, so stores order proprietary ingredients steadily; summer volume raises orders first; see inventory funding.
Campus and mall seasonality
Campus stores slow during breaks and mall stores follow foot traffic, while rent and staff stay. A slow season cushion covers the gap.

## Which product fits which Gong cha need?

Need | Product | Published requirement it leans on | What to send |
Beverage maker or sealer replacement | Equipment financing | Vendor quote and useful life | Quote, 3 months of statements |
Summer tea and tapioca orders | Line of credit | Tier 1: 3+ years, FICO 650+, 8+ deposits a month | Statements, supplier invoices |
Semester-break payroll | Revenue-based financing | Tier 2: $800 minimum daily balance, up to 2 current advances | Statements |
Refrigeration repair | Working capital | Tier 2: 6+ months, FICO 600+, $60K verifiable revenue | Repair invoice, statements |
Remodel or added ordering kiosk | Business loan | Tier 1: about $25K/month revenue, applicant owns 50%+ | Quote, statements |

## How does the review read a Gong cha store?

Entity: the company on the franchise agreement and its deposit account; area developers often hold stores separately.
Deposits: card and kiosk batches, heavier in afternoons and evenings than a morning coffee shop.
Franchisor drafts: royalty and brand marketing on weekly net sales, plus software fees; capacity is sized after them.
Supply drafts: proprietary tea and tapioca from the supply affiliate, plus milk and fruit, read as cost of goods.
Existing positions: beverage maker financing and any advances are counted; a new structure can sometimes lower the combined payment.

## What should a Gong cha owner send?

About 3 months of business bank statements (bank PDFs) per store entity
The five-minute application, which starts with a soft credit pull
Vendor quotes for beverage makers, brewers, sealers or refrigeration
A list of current loans, equipment financing and advances
Full financials only for requests above $250,000
Merchant Fund Express accepts ITIN applicants and offers Spanish-speaking support.

## A hypothetical Gong cha budget

Say an in-line store deposits $58,000 a month. Payroll is $16,000, tea, tapioca, milk and cups $15,000, franchisor drafts $4,060, rent $7,400 and existing payments $1,500. The owner wants a second sealer and a new tea brewing station quoted at $18,000.
Monthly deposits$58,000
Less payroll, supplies, franchisor, rent, payments$58,000 - $16,000 - $15,000 - $4,060 - $7,400 - $1,500 = $14,040
$18,000 over 36 monthsabout $500/month before cost of funds
Share of what remains$500 / $14,040 = about 3.6%
Figures in this example are illustrations of the arithmetic, not an offer, quote or approval. Real terms depend on the file and the funder.

## What if you are buying or opening a Gong cha instead?

A store that has not opened has no deposits to read, so it needs operating history first. Owners adding a store under an area development agreement are read on their open stores; see second location funding. Buying an operating store follows franchise transfer financing.

## Keep reading

Coffee and beverage franchise funding: how beverage concepts are reviewed
Franchise brands we cover: every brand page in this guide
Franchise inventory funding: tea and tapioca orders
Franchise equipment financing: quotes and useful life
Franchise seasonal cash flow: campus and mall swings

## Common questions

### Can I finance a beverage maker or cup sealer for my Gong cha?

Yes. Equipment financing is reviewed against a vendor quote and the machine's useful life.

### My store is on a campus. Do breaks hurt the review?

A break shows in the statements and is read in context; revenue-based financing often fits.

### Does buying ingredients from the franchisor's affiliate matter?

No. Proprietary tea and tapioca orders are cost of goods, like any supplier.

### What if I run a combination store with another brand?

We read the entity that receives the deposits. Separate POS systems help show each brand's sales clearly.

### Are you affiliated with Gong cha?

No. Merchant Fund Express is independent. We use the Gong cha name only to identify the owners this page is for; it does not mean the franchisor endorses or works with us.

Merchant Fund Express is independent. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Gong cha or its franchisor.

Apply with Merchant Fund Express: https://merchantfundexpress.com/current-application.html?utm_source=mfebusinessloans.com&utm_medium=franchise&utm_campaign=franchise-funding&utm_content=gong-cha