Gong cha vs The Alley:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Gong cha had more branded searches than The Alley among bubble tea chains in the United States. Gong cha had about 246,000 branded searches, while The Alley had 3,220. Gong cha made up 26.5% of all bubble tea chain searches we track, and The Alley accounted for 0.35%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about bubble tea chains, Gong cha appeared in three of the four answers and The Alley in two. Gong cha was mentioned before The Alley in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Gong cha, about 76 searches for every 1 for The Alley
Who does AI mention more?
Gong cha, mentioned in 3 of 4 answers, The Alley in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Gong cha, named ahead of The Alley in every answer
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Top bubble tea chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Gong cha was mentioned in three out of four: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. The Alley was mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Gong cha was listed before The Alley in every answer.
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 The Alley more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Gong cha and The Alley 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 Gong cha, The Alley. 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 The Alley comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Gong cha was ahead of The Alley 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, The Alley’s share of searches among bubble tea chains in the United States moved from 0.4% to 0.35%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.8K to 3.2K.
How did search popularity change for United States bubble tea chains in September 2026?
3 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%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for The Alley in the United States fell 32.8% over 12 measured months, from 4.8K to 3.2K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Gong cha’s and The Alley’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.
Other head-to-heads among bubble tea chains
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