Panda Express is fast-food Chinese inspired chain. The franchise has its roots in a Chinese American who opened a restaurant in California. The chain offers a variety of food, from chicken, to beef, to rice, and various mixed vegetables. The ambiance of the restaurant is Asian-inspired, and a Panda is the company’s mascot.
The chain employs about 24,995 people worldwide. As of March 2014, the company had profits as large as $2 billion. It is privately owned. Further, its headquarters is located in Rosemead, California. The chain continues to grow rapidly. Thanks to having nearly no competitors, the franchise dominates the Asian inspired fast-food niche.
| FOOD | SIZE | PRICE |
|---|---|---|
Create Your Plate | ||
Available Sides: Mixed Veggies, Chow Mein, White Steamed Rice, Brown Steamed Rice and Fried Rice | ||
| Any 1 Side & 2 Entrees | $6.80 | |
| Any 1 Side & 3 Entrees | $8.30 | |
| Additional Charge - Premium Entree | $1.25 | |
Bowl | ||
Available Sides: Mixed Veggies, Chow Mein, White Steamed Rice, Brown Steamed Rice and Fried Rice | ||
| Any 1 Side & 1 Entree | $5.80 | |
| Additional Charge - Premium Entree | $1.25 | |
Kid's Meal | ||
Guests 11 and Under | ||
| Any 1 Jr. Side, 1 Jr. Entree, 12 oz. Drink & Cookie | $4.90 | |
| Additional Charge - Premium Entree | $0.75 | |
Family Feast | ||
Serves 4-5 | ||
| 2 Large Sides & 3 Large Entrees | $30.00 | |
| Additional Charge - Premium Entree | $3.75 | |
A La Carte | ||
| Sides (Mixed Veggies, Chow Mein, White Steamed Rice, Brown Steamed Rice or Fried Rice) | Medium | $2.70 |
| Sides (Mixed Veggies, Chow Mein, White Steamed Rice, Brown Steamed Rice or Fried Rice) | Large | $3.70 |
| Entrees (Orange Chicken, String Bean Chicken Breast, Black Pepper Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Broccoli Beef, Beijing Beef, SweetFire Chicken Breast, Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Honey Sesame Chicken Breast or Mushroom Chicken) | Small | $3.70 |
| Entrees (Orange Chicken, String Bean Chicken Breast, Black Pepper Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Broccoli Beef, Beijing Beef, SweetFire Chicken Breast, Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Honey Sesame Chicken Breast or Mushroom Chicken) | Medium | $6.90 |
| Entrees (Orange Chicken, String Bean Chicken Breast, Black Pepper Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Broccoli Beef, Beijing Beef, SweetFire Chicken Breast, Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Honey Sesame Chicken Breast or Mushroom Chicken) | Large | $9.70 |
| Premium Entrees (Shanghai Angus Steak or Honey Walnut Shrimp - Limited Time) | Small | $4.95 |
| Premium Entrees (Shanghai Angus Steak or Honey Walnut Shrimp - Limited Time) | Medium | $9.40 |
| Premium Entrees (Shanghai Angus Steak or Honey Walnut Shrimp - Limited Time) | Large | $13.45 |
Appetizers | ||
| Veggie Spring Rolls | Small | $1.90 |
| Veggie Spring Rolls | Large | $9.70 |
| Chicken Egg Roll | Small | $1.90 |
| Chicken Egg Roll | Large | $9.70 |
| Cream Cheese Rangoons | Small | $1.90 |
| Cream Cheese Rangoons | Large | $7.50 |
| Crispy Shrimp | Small | $1.90 |
| Crispy Shrimp | Large | $9.70 |
Drinks | ||
| Fountain Drink | Small | $1.60 |
| Fountain Drink | Medium | $1.80 |
| Fountain Drink | Large | $2.00 |
| Bottled Water | $1.80 | |
| Juice | $1.90 | |
| Bottled Drink | $2.10 | |
History
Panda Express has a very unique history for a fast food restaurant. The franchise can trace its history back to its founders Ming-Tsai Cherng, his son Andrew J. C. Cherng, and Andrew’s eventual wife Peggy Cherng. The Cherng family initially migrated from China to the United States in the 1960’s. At this point Peggy Cherng wasn’t a part of the family at this time. She actually emigrated from Burma.
The newly emigrated Cherng family challenged themselves by opening a full-service Chinese restaurant. Note that they were competing in California, a market very competitive for Asian-American food. Their first restaurant was founded under Panda Management. The company’s first restaurants were opened in 1973. The restaurants served food inspired by the Szechwan and Mandarin of their homeland China.
The world’s first Panda Express was opened in 1983. Andrew noticed how popular the fast food industry was becoming. As such he create the franchise to capitalize on this restaurant trend. The restaurant found success. It was able to find a niche in for its authentic Szechwan and Mandarin dishes. Most other fast food franchises had hamburgers or chicken. So our chain had nearly no competition for the type of food it offered.
This franchise has since had near constant expansion. In 1992, there were just 50 chain units in the United States. Since then there are now over 1,700 unite in the world. The chain has experimented with drive through only locations, supermarket locations, and various new meals. Peggy Cherng helped to improve the company’s management and bring the company to the 21st century. As of now, the company is based from Rosemead California.
Menu
The menu has a lot of variety for its customers. The price is reasonable. There are create your own plate options that range from $6 to $8. This options comes with 2 entrée and any 1 side option. Another meals include the bowl which goes for about $6, which includes 1 entrée and any 1 side. There are also kid’s meal options for around $5 and even the family feast that comes with 2 large sides and 3 large entrées.
There are several recommended menu items available. Sides include the options of mixed vegetables and various ways to prepare rice. In addition, there are so many different entrées to enjoy. There is the Mushroom Chicken, Broccoli Beef, Orange Chicken, and Honey Sesame Chicken Breast. Further, there are a few limited time premium entrées. The Shanghai Angus Steak and the Honey Walnut Shrimp are both delicious options available.
Staff at Panda Express tend to be positive about their employment. They enjoy it as a part-time job. The service is usual for a fast food restaurant. The wait times will be the worst around the lunch rush, which is around 12:00PM to 1:00PM. The hygiene is usually average. Some restaurants have issues with their hygiene.
The ambiance of the restaurant is calm. The company Trusonic was hired to create Asian-Inspired music. There are several locations across the US. One location in the Ala Moana Center at Honolulua made the makes the company over $4 million annually. There are also locations in Canada, Korea, and the United Arab Emirates.
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