The History of Panda Express

Panda Express was founded by husband-and-wife duo Andrew and Peggy Cherng, both of whom moved from China to the United States in the mid-1960s. In 1973, Andrew and his father, master chef Ming-Tsai Cherng, opened Panda Inn in Pasadena, California. Panda Inn became quite successful and in 1983, Andrew and Peggy opened the first Panda Express in the Glendale Galleria, a mall located in Glendale, California. Peggy, who holds a B.S. in applied mathematics, an M.S. in computer science, and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, established (and customized!) computerized operating systems for important tasks like taking orders, tracking inventory, and re-ordering ingredients. Thanks to her efforts, Panda Express became one of the first restaurants to use this type of technology. Panda Express introduced its now-famous Orange Chicken in 1987. The original recipe was created by former executive chef Andy Kao and was served bone-in. Today, Panda Express serves boneless Orange Chicken and the dish has become so popular that the chain sells nearly 70 million pounds of it each year! Moreover, a whopping 50% of Panda Express customers choose to include Orange Chicken as part of their meal. Today, Panda Express remains an extremely popular fast-food chain for American Chinese food — there are over 2,000 Panda Express locations in the United States as well as many more locations all over the world.