Taps & Tactics: Leaders' Uncorked Advice for Operators

Chris Noffze is an accomplished franchise operations leader with extensive experience guiding high-performing teams and driving operational excellence across leading global and regional brands. He joined Gong cha in 2024 as Director of Direct Franchising, Operations for the Americas, a newly created role designed to support franchisees from onboarding through ongoing operations. Drawing on a hands-on approach and deep understanding of franchise dynamics, Chris partners directly with owners and operators to ensure smooth openings, sustained profitability, and consistent brand standards across Gong cha’s rapidly expanding U.S. market. Before joining Gong cha, Chris held operations leadership roles at Burger King and Domino’s, where he led initiatives that strengthened franchise systems and optimized store performance. His hands-on approach and leadership perspective enable him to develop people-centric strategies and forge genuine relationships with franchisees, aligning operational success with long-term business growth.

Joseph Ortiz is a dynamic business leader piloting our brand growth. Ortiz is heavily involved in validating new franchise candidates and fostering great talent, ensuring they are successful operators for our long-term development strategy. Ortiz previously served as vice president of finance & accounting for Farmer Boys, where he was responsible for leading the finance and accounting teams and creating new growth strategies. With more than 17 years of operations and financial experience in the restaurant and food service industry, Ortiz has held various leadership roles with notable brands including BakeMark and CKE Restaurant Holdings.