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The world of chain restaurants is vast. Although many market themselves as neighborhood gathering spots and the perfect family-friendly option for a night out, when you think of fast food or fast casual restaurants, you may picture something run by a huge, faceless corporation. One iconic chain, however, which is particularly ubiquitous in airports and malls, has been family-owned and operated since the 1980s. Customers love it for being one of the best-value Chinese chain restaurants. If you haven't guessed already, we're talking about Panda Express.
Panda Express has made a name for itself by offering quick and easy meals that can be eaten in the restaurant or taken on the go. While there has been some recent uproar about changes to its orange chicken, the chain certainly didn't grow to more than 2,600 locations around the world without offering plenty of quality. While, these days, it seems like you can't turn a corner in any major city without encountering a Panda Express, the company comes from very humble beginnings and has grown over the years thanks to its commitment to quality and family, values that continue to this day.
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Panda Express built a global brand from humble roots
What would eventually become Panda Express originally began as Panda Inn in Pasadena, California. It was started in 1973 by Andrew Cherng and his father, master chef Ming-Tsai Cherng. The father-son duo set out to create dishes for the American palate that merged flavors and tapped into chef Cherng's experience in Yangzhou, Taiwan, and Japan. While Panda Inn eventually grew to four locations in Southern California, it's a sit-down, full-service restaurant. It wasn't until the family went fully fast casual with its first Panda Express concept that things really began to take off on a huge scale.
In 1983, Andrew and his wife, Peggy, opened the first Panda Express at the Glendale Galleria in Glendale, California, and the world of fresh, fast Chinese food was unleashed on America's malls. In 1987, chef Andy Kao introduced Panda Express's Original Orange Chicken, and it was off to the races.
The company continued to expand through the years, and by 2011, it had opened its first international location in Mexico City. It continues to expand to this day, still innovating flavors and introducing new menu items to a hungry public. Andrew and Peggy Cherng still run the company as co-CEOs, with their daughter Andrea leading the marketing side of the business as chief brand officer. While the executive team has grown beyond the literal family, the company remains committed to family values, serving food and providing disaster relief to children and families in need through its Panda Cares organization since 1999.
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Read the original article on Food Republic.
