1st December 2023
Gong Cha, the fast-growing bubble tea brand headquartered in the UK, has appointment Justin Goes as UK & Ireland development director.
For nearly two decades, Goes worked at Subway and held several senior European roles including regional director Europe, where he helped grow Subway stores from 150 to more than 5,000.
He then co-founded The Foodservice Experts, an industry consultancy that specialises in strategic development and chain management within the franchise industry.
In his new role, Goes will work alongside global chief executive Paul Reynish . Globally, Gong Cha operates more than 2,000 stores in 23 countries, including 225 in the US and 13 in the UK. In line with its international expansion strategy, which is targeting 10,000 stores globally by 2032, Gong Cha is aiming to rapidly grow its UK store estate with new multi-site franchises over the coming years.
Reynish said: “Justin is a highly-skilled, highly experienced operator who has exactly what we need to significantly scale up in the UK – one of our most strategically important markets. We look forward to working with him in the years ahead.”
Goes added: “While still in its infancy, demand for bubble tea in the UK is growing rapidly. I believe Gong Cha with its premium brand, high-quality and authentic product, and strong operational model on flexible footprints has significant potential to lead the UK’s bubble tea market for decades to come.” Earlier this month, the company appointed Marc Dench as its new global chief financial officer.