The template for Panda Express began as "Panda Inn" which opened in California in 1973 and was the brainchild of Andrew Cheng, who spent his childhood in China. His father, a master chef was good at creating irresistible flavors. After moving to America, Andrew embodied his father's principles of cooking, by establishing the Panda Express fast food chain. The most talented chefs were recruited, so that the panda express menu is now famous and known worldwide for its fresh meats and vegetables creations.
The success of Panda Inn was so good that within ten years of opening, the first of the Panda Express franchise opened its door to great reviews.
Panda Express is a successful enterprise, which consists of 700 restaurants operating throughout the United States, Japan and Puerto Rico. Its headquarters are located in Rosemead, California. The chain operates in a variety of "high traffic" locations such as airports, malls, supermarkets, casinos, libraries and universities. Panda Express is a family-owned enterprise. Andrew Cheng is chairman of Panda Restaurant Group and his wife Peggy is a president. They attended the same college in Kansas and received degrees in science. Nevertheless, the couple has successfully used their schooling to enter the field of restaurants, business and trade and there's been no looking back.
The success of the restaurant chain lies in fresh, high-quality ingredients that are used in preparing every dish on the Panda Express menu. One more reason for the restaurant's success is that it manages to satisfy the demand of freshness and nutritional balance in food. Panda Express menu offers a wide variety of food; including panda express orange chicken, Beef with Broccoli, Mandarin Chicken. Most meals are served with steamed rice, fried rice or chow mien. Some dishes are cooked and served in Chinese tradition, like Chow Mien or Kung Pao. Among the latest introductions on the menu are sweet and spicy Panda Original and panda express orange chicken.
One of the dishes enjoying wide popularity is panda express orange chicken, one serving of which contains 480 calories, 189 of which are from fat. Total amount of cholesterol is 80 mg, sodium - 820 mg, carbohydrate - 50 g, protein - 21 g, dietary fiber - 2 g, sugars - 5 g. Panda Express Orange Chicken recipe is a unique combination of chicken, white pepper, ginger root, hot red chilies, green onions, rice wine and sesame oil. The sauce for panda express orange chicken contains soy sauce, water, sugar and white vinegar. Other varieties of chicken include Kung Pao Chicken, Chicken with Mushrooms, Mandarin Chicken and Chicken Egg Roll. Panda Express doesn't offer vegetarian food. Even mixed vegetables are cooked in chicken broth.
The number of menu items and price varies by location. Clients pay an average of $5-$9 dollars for a plate with 1-3 entries and a soft drink. Large family meals are also available at Panda Express.
The atmosphere at Panda Express is something the restaurant has worked hard on. They try to provide "a little bit of Chinese culture at an affordable price". Apparently the combination works, as Panda Express has experienced unequaled success around the world.