Gong cha vs Kung Fu Tea:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Kung Fu Tea had more branded searches than Gong cha among bubble tea chains in the United States. Kung Fu Tea had about 301,000 branded searches, while Gong cha had 246,000. Kung Fu Tea made up 32.4% of all bubble tea chain searches we track, and Gong cha accounted for 26.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about bubble tea chains, Kung Fu Tea appeared in all four answers and Gong cha in three. Gong cha was mentioned before Kung Fu Tea in two out of three answers.
Who do people search for more?
Kung Fu Tea, about 22% more searches than Gong cha
Who does AI mention more?
Kung Fu Tea, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Gong cha, named ahead of Kung Fu Tea in 2 of 3 answers
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Top bubble tea chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Kung Fu Tea appeared in all four answers. Gong cha was mentioned in three out of four: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Gong cha was listed before Kung Fu Tea in two out of three answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Gong cha1st
- Kung Fu Tea2nd
Sharetea3rd
Happy Lemon4th- Feng Cha5th
The Alley6th
Tiger Sugar7th
Boba Guys8th
Presotea–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Kung Fu Tea4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Gong cha3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Sharetea3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Happy Lemon2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Feng Cha2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- The Alley2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Tiger Sugar1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Boba Guys1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Presotea0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about bubble tea chains
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best bubble tea chain in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which boba chain in the US has the best milk tea?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the most popular bubble tea chains in the US?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“bubble tea”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“boba near me”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 23, 2026.
Is Gong cha or Kung Fu Tea more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Gong cha and Kung Fu Tea by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine bubble tea chains we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Kung Fu Tea, Gong cha. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Kung Fu Tea | Gong cha | Happy Lemon | Feng Cha | Sharetea | Tiger Sugar | Boba Guys | Presotea | The Alley |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 30.5% | 30.5% | 11.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 6.1% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 0.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 32.3% | 26.4% | 11.9% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 6.5% | 2% | 1.3% | 0.29% |
| Dec 2025 | 36.9% | 24.7% | 11.1% | 9% | 9% | 6.1% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 0.26% |
| Jan 2026 | 32.2% | 26.4% | 11.8% | 9.6% | 9.6% | 6.5% | 1.9% | 1.6% | 0.35% |
| Feb 2026 | 29.8% | 29.8% | 10.9% | 9% | 10.9% | 6% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 0.33% |
| Mar 2026 | 36.8% | 24.6% | 11% | 9% | 9% | 6% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 0.33% |
| Apr 2026 | 36.9% | 24.7% | 11.1% | 9% | 9% | 6.1% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.28% |
| May 2026 | 31.4% | 25.7% | 14.1% | 9.4% | 9.4% | 6.3% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 0.28% |
| Jun 2026 | 33% | 27% | 12.1% | 8.1% | 9.9% | 6.6% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.3% |
| Jul 2026 | 28.7% | 28.7% | 12.9% | 8.6% | 10.5% | 7.1% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.31% |
| Aug 2026 | 28.7% | 28.7% | 12.9% | 8.6% | 10.5% | 7.1% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.32% |
| Sep 2026 | 32.4% | 26.5% | 11.8% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 6.5% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.35% |
How has the Gong cha and Kung Fu Tea comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Kung Fu Tea was ahead of Gong cha in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Gong cha’s share of searches among bubble tea chains in the United States moved from 30.5% to 26.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 368K to 246K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kung Fu Tea’s share of searches among bubble tea chains in the United States moved from 30.5% to 32.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 368K to 301K.
How did search popularity change for United States bubble tea chains in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Kung Fu Tea overtook Gong cha to become the leader among bubble tea chains in the United States, with 32.4% of the searches.
In September 2026, Gong cha lost share of searches among bubble tea chains in the United States, from 28.7% to 26.5%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Gong cha’s and Kung Fu Tea’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Gong cha
1 branded search term
- gong cha
Kung Fu Tea
1 branded search term
- kung fu tea
Other head-to-heads among bubble tea chains
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