You might have been to a Panda Express countless
times, and sampled as many dishes on their menu as you could, but there are still facts
about that food chain that you don’t know about. Long before there was a McDonald’s, Chinese
restaurants have always dotted the American landscape. Of all the American Chinese restaurants, Panda
Express stands out not just because of its long and successful history, or the fact that
they have over 2000 locations in the US, Canada, and Europe, but also because of the wide variety
of its dishes. Here are some of the things that may surprise
you as we look at the top 10 untold truths of Panda Express. Panda Express is Family-Owned and Operated The company behind Panda Express is called
The Panda Restaurant Group. It was established by a husband and wife couple
who opened their first restaurant in 1983. To this day the company doesn’t allow any
type of franchising or licensing. Every store in the chain is owned and run
by the company itself. This is in contrast with popular fast food
chains around the country where any store owner could buy the licensing and operate
it under their brand. The only exception in the case of Panda Express
is the stores on campuses. These are usually owned by the respective
universities. But apart from that, the Cherng family have
full control over every menu item, supplier, and salt shaker in the 2000+ restaurants around
the world. What this means from a customer’s perspective
is the consistent quality of food and service in every branch. It doesn’t matter if you live in a big city
or a small town tucked in the middle of nowhere, you’ll always get the same type of food
and cordial service. I’m sure you must have noticed the difference
in quality between a New York City fast food branch and its counterpart in Kiousville,
Ohio. Panda Express guarantees the same top-notch
food in its chains wherever you go. We also strive to offer consistent, top-notch
quality so click that subscribe button and tap that notification bell so you never miss
out! The Panda Express Owners Met at College We mentioned that Panda Express is owned by
a single family. But did you know that the couple first met
and fell in love during their college years? Back in the seventies, Andrew was a young
student studying Applied Mathematics at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas when he
met Peggy who was studying Electrical Engineering at the same school. They both fell in love and in 1975, a full
8 years before the first restaurant in the sprawling chain was opened, they got married. One might be tempted to speculate that Panda
Express is the product of that love. Over 40 years later their marriage is going
strong, just as their restaurant chain is. But it wasn’t a stroke of luck that got
them where they are now. Before Panda Express, Andrew had opened Panda
Inn with his father. In the beginning, they were struggling with
the lack of business. And it wasn’t until Peggy joined Andrew
in the restaurant business in 1982 that things started to look up. The next year the couple established the Panda
Express business and two years later the second restaurant was opened in 1985. It’s no wonder the family won’t allow
outsiders into the business. Orange Chicken is a Topseller at Panda Express This signature dish was first served on a
Panda Express table back in 1987. This recipe created by Chef Andy Kao in a
Hawaii restaurant became an instant success. Kao strove for perfection using a balanced
flavor that captured the spirit of the Hunan Province cuisine along with pieces of spicy
crispy chicken that was all his own. But it’s the orange sauce that really sets
this unique dish apart from other fried chicken recipes. Orange has a distinct flavor that makes it
more suitable for dessert than main courses. But Kao used it to make a spicy and memorable
chili sauce then glazed and caramelized the resulting thick sauce. The dish was a hit and it immediately spread
to the rest of the locations. To this day Panda Express sends out a food
truck serving orange chicken to tour the country and promote the chain. And just to show how successful that dish
has become, the chain sells about 80 million orange chicken meals on average every year. Not only that, but the dish has become part
of the mainstream fast food fare and you can find it served in school cafeterias and military
messes all over the country. Not bad for a dish that was inspired by the
sweet and sour traditional Chinese dishes. Panda Express is a Technology-Driven Chain When you hear the words technology and fast
food chain in the same sentence you can’t help but wonder what that means exactly. Is it the payment system that the cashiers
use? Or is technology used to fry the chicken just
right to ensure every piece reaches the customer as the original chef intended it? Well, it’s a bit of both. Technology is part of everyday life these
days and it’s hard to imagine any business that would operate without the help of computers
and software. Speaking of which, Panda Express was one of
the early adopters of software in their operations and management of the big chain. We’re talking about the 1980s when they
first started using computers in the restaurants. To put that into perspective, that was before
Bill Gates had rolled out his ubiquitous Windows OS and long before there was something called
Linux either. This embracing of technology was spearheaded
by Peggy Cherng who had a strong background in computer science and realized early on
the need for technology to boost their restaurant operations. This included streamlining the ordering at
the stores - there was no internet then and ordering online wasn’t a thing yet. Software was also used to keep track of the
hot-selling items and gather data about the changing tastes of the customers all year
round. Panda Express and Continuous Innovation Speaking of changing tastes, we all know what
it feels like to go to a fast food chain to find the same menu on offer that was there
a year or so ago. Nothing new has been added. No new dishes or different combos. That’s so boring, right? Panda Express was one of the first food chains
to realize the importance of continuous innovation, not just in the menu design, but in the dishes
themselves. And for that purpose, a certain location in
Pasadena, California, is dedicated to just that: food innovation. Aptly named Panda’s Kitchen, the place is
directly run by one of the Cherng family. Andrea, Andrew and Peggy’s daughter, is
the Chief Marketing Officer of Panda Express and Panda’s Kitchen was her brainchild. It’s not a secret place though. It’s open to the public and anybody with
a taste for adventure can go there and try new dishes in their experimental or ‘beta’
stage. The idea is to try everything there from new
flavors to new designs and decor before it gets sent out to the rest of the restaurants
in the country and the world. So the next time you find yourself in Pasadena,
you can pop in Panda’s Kitchen and try some of their newest and most daring dishes. Not many of those dishes would make it into
the mainstream Panda chain, so you’re guaranteed a unique experience after all. Panda Express is a Happy Work Environment We’ve all heard about what working in a
fast food joint is like. Long hours, harsh conditions, no promotions
or chance to move up. But Panda Express feels more like a corporation
in Silicon Valley than a fast food chain. Workers are encouraged to get training and
enlist in self-help seminars. The whole culture is geared toward creating
a happy work environment where the employees feel enriched and have better opportunities
to getting better within the job. As part of the job perks, workers get the
chance to enlist in motivational and human potential workshops. Names such as Landmark Education, Life Academy,
and Dale Carnegie are well known inside the chain’s headquarters. Yoga and meditation rooms are part of the
recreational center in the main building. Zumba, self-defense training, and motivational
speeches are regular occurrences there. But that’s not all. Andrew Cherng created a program for employees
called The Panda Way that promotes a healthy lifestyle. It encourages them to exercise regularly,
eat healthy food, and manage stress and anxiety in their daily lives. Such programs and care from the management
is probably why the atmosphere within the office seems less tense than it is in other
companies. It’s all part of Andrew’s philosophy:
a happy environment makes for a happier and more productive workforce. The Panda Express Japanese Connection We mentioned that Panda Express is one part
of a bigger company in the same way Google is part of the parent company Alphabet. One of the Chinese fast food chain’s siblings
is a Japanese fast food chain. Called Hibachi-San, the chain specializes
in teppanyaki and sushi. The first restaurant was opened in 1992 in
California. It was meant to ward off competition from
Japanese fast food joints which were luring customers away from Panda Express. What’s ironic is that the strategy not only
worked in keeping Panda Express customers from slipping away, but Hibachi-San carved
its niche in the market and created its own base of loyal customers. Within a few years, the second restaurant
in the new franchise opened and that was followed by a third then a fourth. Today Hibachi-San operates in 28 locations
across the United States. The Panda family is certainly growing. And remember Panda Inn? The first business that was struggling back
in the 1980s? It too is prospering as well. Which goes to show that family business is
still part and parcel of the economy and when done right, it can not only stand on its own
feet but also compete with the big corporations that dominate the market. The Food at Panda Express is Becoming Healthier Fast food and health don’t mix, right? What with the fat, fried food, high-calorie
count and all the other unhealthy ingredients which health experts warn us about. With that in mind, Panda Express decided to
give its menu a facelift. The goal is to make the food served in the
chain healthier. For that purpose, fresh ingredients are always
used in the chain. Harmful compounds have been banned within
the restaurants, as well as any foods used by the suppliers. Calorie count is also another big factor in
the recent overhaul of the menu. Salads have a set limit of calories they are
not to pass. The same goes for the rest of the items on
the menu. Being health-conscious is a slow and steady
process. No food chain, especially one as large as
Panda Express, can change its menu overnight. This is why the strategy of encouraging patrons
to choose healthier food works on many levels. One of those is the Panda Tea Bar. It offers clients a wide variety of healthy
tea and fruit juices that have a positive effect on their metabolism and digestive systems. The Charitable Panda Express We mentioned Bill Gates earlier. Not only is he one of the richest people on
the planet, but his charity work is also outstanding. It’s people like Gates who try to give back
to society that gives us faith in humanity. And Panda Express is no different. The company’s charity work has been growing
over the years matching only its own business expansion. To date, Panda Express has donated millions
of dollars to charity. This includes giving $37 million to Children's
Miracle Network Hospitals and $41 million to ‘The Leader In Me’ program. But charity work isn’t just about offering
money to those who need it. There are other ways that every company can
help too. Such as offering their products and services
for free or at discount to the institutions and NGOs that help the poor and those at a
disadvantage. Panda Care is one such program that was set
up by Panda Express. Every year it launches food donation programs,
asks the employees to donate part of their paycheck to charity, and offer customers the
opportunity to donate money to charitable causes. By setting this example and also encouraging
its employees to take part in these programs, the company is showing us how a big corporation
can find different ways to give back to society. Panda Express Loves Hawaii Hawaii has a sweet spot for Panda Express. Remember how the recipe for their most successful
dish Orange Chicken was concocted in Hawaii? That’s not the only connection between the
food chain and these beautiful islands. Hawaiians love Panda Express so much that
one restaurant in Honolulu has become the most successful of the 2000+ locations worldwide. Don’t ask us why, but it seems that the
lovely people of Hawaii enjoy their orange chicken and honey sesame chicken breast more
than everybody else in the country. That specific restaurant which is located
in a food court of all places brings in about $4 million in revenue every year. That is not to say that the other locations
are not running well. On the contrary, they are doing quite well. Which is why the company keeps launching new
locations regularly. From Guatemala to Mexico, Japan, and South
Korea, the company’s international reach is growing. The latest location was in El Salvador in
July 2018. Help our reach grow, too! Click that subscribe button and tap that bell
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