The founder of a huge boba chain said he opened stores next to Starbucks to get a fraction of its customers

Gong Cha's founder said he opened his first few stores in strategic locations.

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• Bubble tea chain Gong Cha's founder said he banked on Starbucks' success to get his first customers.
• He said he opened stores in South Korea next to Starbucks outlets to get a fraction of its customers.
• The bubble tea chain now has nearly 2,200 stores in 33 countries.

The founder of the bubble tea brand Gong Cha said he had a novel idea to get his first patrons through the door.