International beverage brand Gong cha has scheduled the opening of its first retail location in the state of Maine. The new storefront is located at 200 Running Hill Road in South Portland and represents the first expansion step into the state for the company, which currently operates nearly 2,200 locations internationally. The business specializes in customizable drinks, including freshly brewed teas, milk teas, and fruit varieties.
The South Portland franchise location is owned and operated by Tafari and Nhi Thomas, a husband-and-wife team with over 20 years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality sector. The operators first encountered the brand nearly ten years ago in Boston and selected the business for regional expansion based on consumer demand and simplified operational requirements. According to company executives, the expansion reflects a broader shift toward establishing customizable beverage platforms outside of traditional major metropolitan markets.
The regional business will host a two-day grand opening public celebration beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 27, 2026. The weekend event will continue through Sunday, June 28, and will feature specific promotional offers and product giveaways for early attendees. The first 100 customers in line each day will receive either a complimentary medium beverage or a specialized company key ring, alongside a general buy-one-get-one-free offer on the brand’s five most popular flavors.
The opening day schedule on Saturday features an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:00 a.m., followed by a noon performance by the Wah May Lion Dance nonprofit organization to showcase traditional Chinese culture. Additional weekend activities include live disc jockey entertainment, complimentary menu samples, face painting, and an Instagram-based prize raffle. Attendees who publish photos tagging the corporate social media account will enter a drawing for electronic prizes, including a gaming console, a television, and headphones.
The Maine storefront opening is part of a larger North American corporate strategy to increase the company’s total footprint across the region to over 500 locations by 2028. The brand currently maintains more than 240 operating locations across 23 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Future corporate scaling plans involve targeting traditional storefronts as well as high-traffic transit hubs, including airports and travel centers.
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