Gong cha adds dessert to hook Saudi customers
Each bowl is topped with tapioca pearls and its signature milk foam.
Gong cha is expanding its footprint in the Middle East with a dessert bowl that introduces local consumers to its signature bubble tea ingredients, forming part of its wider market penetration strategy in the region.
“We call it a dessert plus one,” Keaton Myburgh, franchise business leader for the Middle East at Gong cha, told QSR Media.
The dessert bowl, available exclusively in Saudi Arabia, features a base of waffle or sponge cake and comes in flavours such as strawberry, crème brûlée, and salted caramel. Each bowl is topped with the London-based bubble teamaker’s core ingredients—tapioca pearls and its signature milk foam.
The company worked with Riyadh-based Shahia Foods Group to create six varieties of the dessert.
Myburgh said the product is doing well above expectations. They’re selling 30 bowls per store daily, more than the 10 to 15 bowls that they expected.
The dessert bowls have become popular as standalone items, with some customers visiting Gong cha stores to buy them. Despite this, Myburgh said they are not seeing any impact on beverage sales.
“We weren’t concerned about cannibalisation because the core objective of the bowl was to introduce a plus one, and to increase awareness and educate consumers about our key ingredients,” he said.
Myburgh sees the dessert bowl as a way to reach more customers, support franchisees, and boost sales throughout the day. He said it meets demand from consumers who want both drinks and snacks in one place.
Gong cha’s “plus one” approach goes beyond dessert bowls. Myburgh said the brand is exploring other products that can be added to drinks to increase value perception and enhance the customer experience.
Whilst drinks remain the brand’s core product, there is a clear focus on identifying complementary products that can boost customer frequency and appeal to value-driven consumer behaviour, he added.
Founded in 2006 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and now headquartered in London, Gong cha operates more than 2,100 stores globally, with a strong presence in Asia.
In the Middle East, it has seven stores in Saudi Arabia and plans to grow to 15 by year-end. Upcoming locations include Jeddah, along with expansions into the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Building brand awareness remains one of its key challenges in the Middle East, according to Myburgh. To address this, Gong cha has prioritised consistent branding across store fronts, digital platforms, self-order kiosks, and menu boards.
He said they invested a lot to make sure that the look and feel across all customer touchpoints is aligned. Gong cha also uses in-store sampling tables featuring toppings and key ingredients to encourage trial and product understanding.
Myburgh noted that other franchisees globally have launched initiatives such as tea education sessions and tea-making classes to drive engagement.
Gong cha sees strong long-term potential in the region. Myburgh is scheduled to speak at the QSR Media Middle East Conference & Awards 2025, where the brand’s Middle East strategy and product innovation will be in focus.
