Panda Express
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2008-07-15T21:31:26Z
Chexmix53
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[[Image:Panda Express.svg|thumb|right|150px|Panda Express logo]]
[[Image:Pandaexpressrestaurant.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Exterior view of a Panda Express restaurant]]
'''Panda Express''' is a [[Types of restaurants|fast casual]] [[restaurant chain]] serving [[American Chinese cuisine|Americanized Chinese cuisine]]. It operates mainly inside the [[United States of America]], in [[shopping mall]]s, [[supermarket]]s, [[airport]]s, [[train station]]s, [[strip mall|strip plaza]]s, [[theme park]]s, [[college campus]]es and [[The Pentagon]]. It is one of the largest such chains of Chinese fast food restaurants in the United States.
In 2004, the company began opening stand-alone restaurants with [[drive-through]] windows.<ref>Bruce Haring, "Panda gains higher visibility for chain amid shift from malls, food courts," ''Nation's Restaurant News'', 9 August 2004, 6.</ref> Panda Express has 1,054 restaurants covering 37 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, as well as 2 locations in Japan <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pandaexpress.com/locations/locator.aspx |title=Panda Express Restaurant Locations |accessdate=2007-12-17 }}</ref>.
The chain offers a wide variety of food such as [[Orange chicken|Orange Chicken]], [[Beef with Broccoli]], [[Mandarin Chicken]], and [[Kung Pao Chicken]]. [[Combo meals]] are served with [[fried rice]], steamed [[rice]], [[chow mein]], or mixed vegetables. No [[Monosodium glutamate|MSG]] is added to any of the items at Panda Express after it has been delivered to the restaurant.
Panda Express is headquartered in [[Rosemead, California|Rosemead]], [[California]]. It is a faster, more casual equivalent of the more upscale [[Panda Inn]], from which the chain concept was derived.
== History ==
The [[Panda Restaurant Group]], parent company of Panda Inn, Panda Express & Hibachi-San, was founded by Andrew and Peggy Cherng and Andrew's father, Master Chef Robert Cherng, all of whom used to live in the [[Yangzhou]] region of [[China]]'s [[Jiangsu]] province.<ref>[http://www.pandarg.com/aboutPRG/corpOverView.asp Panda Restaurant Group History]</ref> They started their first Panda Inn restaurant in [[1973]] in [[Pasadena, California|Pasadena]], [[California]].
In [[1983]], Donahue Schriber Real Estate, the manager of the [[Glendale Galleria]], invited the Cherngs to develop a fast-food version of Panda Inn for the Galleria's food court, and Panda Express was born.<ref>James Flanigan, "Cooking Up a Powerhouse of Chinese Fast Food," ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', [[8 October]] [[2001]], C1.</ref> The chain has steadily expanded across the United States since then.
In 2005, The Panda Restaurant Group had annual sales of $750,000,000 and 13,000 employees.
== Overview ==
With 1,054 <ref>{{cite news| title=Positive Thinkers | url=http://www.rd.com/content/the-success-story-of-panda-express/ | last=Bartiromo | first=Maria |date=November 2007}}</ref> locations, it is the largest Chinese fast food restaurant chain in the United States. It is also one of the few fast-food chains in the United States to pay its employees significantly more than federal- and state-mandated [[minimum wages]].<ref>{{cite news| title=Panda Express spreads Chinese food across USA | url=http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2006-09-10-entrepreneur-panda-express_x.htm | last=Krantz | first=Matt | work=[[USA Today]] | date=[[2006-09-13]] | accessdate=2007-01-17}}</ref>
The company's highest revenue location, bringing in over [[United States dollar|US$]]4 million annually, is located at the [[Ala Moana Center]] food court in [[Honolulu, Hawaii]].<ref>{{cite news| title=Orange Chicken on the house | url=http://starbulletin.com/2007/01/17/features/story01.html | last=Shimabukuro | first=Betty | work=[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]] | date=[[2007-01-17]] | accessdate=2007-01-17 }}</ref>
Panda Express does not offer vegetarian entrees. According to their corporate web, Ian Lauder most of their entrees contain a chicken base that is used as a flavor enhancer, even the mixed vegetables.
==In popular culture==
* The company is referenced in [[Blizzard Entertainment|Blizzard]]'s April Fool joke in 2005. Blizzard announced a new feature for their game [[World of Warcraft]] which would allow players to order food inside the game through a company named "Pandaren Xpress".
* In 2002 the movie [[Eight Crazy Nights]], features Panda Express and their famous orange chicken. The panda logo was also brought to life.
* Panda Express was referenced in the 2007 movie [[Knocked Up]] as being similar to [[Yoshinoya]] Beef Bowl.
* In 2007 a Panda Express box appears in a scene of the [[Chuck]] TV series episode #2, "Chuck vs. the Helicopter."
* Hibachi-San, one of the Panda Restaurant Group family of restaurants, appears in the movie [[Bad Santa]]
* In an episode of [[George Lopez (TV series)|George Lopez]], the Lopez family had Panda Express takeout.
*Panda Express was referenced in the movie [[Rush Hour]] with [[Chris Tucker]], saying he would leave [[Jackie Chan]] at the Panda Express.
*Panda Express is referenced in the game [[MLB 2K6]] with an advertisement on the outfield wall.
*Panda Express is often shown in the US television series [[The West Wing]] as late night food for staffers.
== Notes ==
{{reflist}}
== References ==
*Flanigan, James, [http://www.asianweek.com/2001_11_30/biz_panda.html "Fast Food Powerhouse"], [[AsianWeek|Asian Week]], Nov. 30 - Dec. 6, 2001 issue. [[Associated Press]] story.
*Foodservice Equipment & Supplies (FE&S) magazine, [http://www.fesmag.com/archives/2006/04/chain-profile.asp Panda Express Profile]
*[http://www.asiasocietysocal.org/index.php?id=407 Andrew Cherng Profile] - [[Asia Society]], Southern California.
*[http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200611/20061114_cherng.html Andrew Cherng interview], [[The Tavis Smiley Show]], original airdate [[November 14]], [[2006]].
*Jennings, Lisa, [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_31_39/ai_n14918454 "Having words with Peggy Tsiang Cherng: chief executive and co-chair, Panda Restaurant Group"], Nation's Restaurant News, [[August 1]], [[2005]].
*[http://atmizzou.missouri.edu/jan04/PandaExpress.htm "Panda Express is Alumni Brainchild"], @Mizzou, [[University of Missouri–Columbia]], Alumni Association magazine, January 2004.
== External links ==
* [http://www.pandaexpress.com Panda Express]
* [http://hibachisan.com/ Hibachi-San]
* [http://pandarg.com/ Panda Restaurant Group]
* [http://hoovers.com/panda-restaurant-group/--ID__47673--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml Hoover's Financial Data on the Panda Restaurant Group]
[[Category:Companies established in 1972]]
[[Category:Fast-food chains of the United States]]
[[Category:Companies based in Los Angeles County]]
[[Category:Restaurants in California]]
[[Category:Chinese restaurants]]
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[[zh:熊貓快餐]]