{"id":391772,"date":"2026-07-30T10:12:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T10:12:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/391772\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T10:12:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T10:12:12","slug":"taiwanese-bubble-tea-chain-gong-cha-plans-big-san-antonio-expansion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/391772\/","title":{"rendered":"Taiwanese bubble tea chain Gong Cha plans big San Antonio expansion"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-perfmatters-preload=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"507\" data-attachment-id=\"416255\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/food-drink\/flavor\/taiwanese-bubble-tea-chain-gong-cha-plans-big-san-antonio-expansion\/attachment\/gong-cha-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sacurrent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Gong-Cha-1.jpg?fit=984%2C639&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"984,639\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Gong Cha\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;An artist\u2019s rendering shows the interior of a Gong Cha tea shop. &lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sacurrent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Gong-Cha-1.jpg?fit=780%2C507&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Gong-Cha-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-416255\"  \/>An artist\u2019s rendering shows the interior of a Gong Cha tea shop.  Credit: Courtesy Photo \/ Gong Cha<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">International bubble tea chain Gong Cha is about to suck up more Texas market share.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Taiwanese company said it\u2019s inked a 50-unit franchise agreement in Texas with Houston-based Bakers Acres &amp; Cattle Co. \u2014\u00a0currently a Nothing Bundt Cakes franchisee \u2014 which will include new Gong Cha stores in San Antonio, Austin, Dallas and Houston. The deal is the largest direct franchising agreement in the chain\u2019s history.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gong Cha officials didn\u2019t say how many new units will be in San Antonio and each of the other Texas markets slated for expansion. However, they did say the rollout will take place over the next seven years. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Alamo City currently has five Gong Cha locations. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Founded in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in 2006, Gong Cha has charted a rapid expansion and how has 2,200 locations across 28 international markets, according to company officials.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bubble tea, named for its inclusion of round tapioca pearls or \u201cboba,\u201d originated in Taiwan in the 1980s and initially gained a U.S. foothold in Asian American communities. However, the sweetened drinks \u2014\u00a0most made with black, green or oolong tea as a base \u2014\u00a0have found a wider following in recent years. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gong Cha\u2019s shops sell a variety of bubble teas, which customers have the option of customizing by choosing their own tea bases and toppings and varying the sweetness level.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/sanantonio\/NewsletterSignup\/Page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Follow us:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.news\/TiFMu3wPkRj6PC4xS5L36bg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Apple News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqKAgKIiJDQklTRXdnTWFnOEtEWE5oWTNWeWNtVnVkQzVqYjIwb0FBUAE?hl=en-US&amp;gl=US&amp;ceid=US%3Aen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbreak.com\/@c\/1599768?s=01\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/SanAntonio_Current\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/sacurrent\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sacurrent\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook\u00a0<\/a>| <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SAcurrent\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a>\u00a0| Or sign up for our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/feed\/?partner-feed=all\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">RSS Feed<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Related Stories<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/food-drink\/flavor\/san-antonios-10-most-booked-restaurants-according-to-opentable\/\" rel=\"bookmark nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1785406331_765_screen_shot_2022-01-06_at_11.02.07_am.png\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-large size-newspack-article-block-landscape-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"San Antonio\u2019s 10 most booked restaurants, according to OpenTable\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\"   data-attachment-id=\"9807\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/food-drink\/20-essential-downtown-san-antonio-restaurants-that-arent-just-for-tourists-36075352\/attachment\/screen_shot_2022-01-06_at_11-02-07_am\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sacurrent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/screen_shot_2022-01-06_at_11.02.07_am.png?fit=1676%2C924&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1676,924\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"screen_shot_2022-01-06_at_11.02.07_am\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sacurrent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/screen_shot_2022-01-06_at_11.02.07_am.png?fit=780%2C430&amp;ssl=1\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tThese dining spots had the highest number of online reservations based on June data. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/food-drink\/san-antonios-2m-smokehouse-and-mixtli-teaming-up-for-single-day-barbecue-pop-up\/\" rel=\"bookmark nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1785406332_445_mixtli.webp\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-large size-newspack-article-block-landscape-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"San Antonio\u2019s 2M Smokehouse and Mixtli teaming up for single-day barbecue pop-up\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\"   data-attachment-id=\"219780\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/food-drink\/20-hip-foodie-restaurants-in-san-antonio-32372598\/attachment\/mixtli-11\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sacurrent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/mixtli.webp?fit=1678%2C1256&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1678,1256\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"mixtli\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;San Antonio\u2019s Mixtli is partnering with 2M Smokehouse on a pop-up.&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;San Antonio\u2019s Mixtli was named a finalist in the James Beard Awards\u2019 Outstanding Restaurant category.&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sacurrent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/mixtli.webp?fit=780%2C583&amp;ssl=1\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tThe two lauded restaurants will partner on an innovative array of barbecued meats and sides on Sunday, July 26. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/news\/texas-news\/millions-of-texas-eggs-recalled-over-salmonella-concerns\/\" rel=\"bookmark nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1785406332_884_egg-3506222_1920-1.webp\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-intermediate size-newspack-article-block-landscape-intermediate wp-post-image\" alt=\"Millions of Texas eggs recalled over salmonella concerns\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\"   data-attachment-id=\"235968\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/news\/craigslist-ad-from-texas-man-offering-sex-services-in-exchange-for-cartons-of-eggs-goes-viral-30835126\/attachment\/egg-3506222_1920-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sacurrent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/egg-3506222_1920-1.webp?fit=640%2C465&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"640,465\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"egg-3506222_1920-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;If you purchased eggs recently in Texas, your eggs could be contaminated with salmonella.&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sacurrent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/egg-3506222_1920-1.webp?fit=640%2C465&amp;ssl=1\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tIf you purchased eggs recently in the Lone Star State, your purchase may be affected. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An artist\u2019s rendering shows the interior of a Gong Cha tea shop. Credit: Courtesy Photo \/ Gong Cha&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":391773,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[82,84,83],"class_list":["post-391772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-antonio","tag-san-antonio","tag-san-antonio-headlines","tag-san-antonio-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391772","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=391772"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391772\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/391773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=391772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=391772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=391772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}