Andrew Cherng and Master Chef Ming-Tsai Cherng open the doors to the first Panda Inn in Pasadena, California. The menu is inspired by the flavors of Mandarin and Sichuan cuisine.

After a decade of success with Panda Inn restaurants, Andrew Cherng opens the first Panda Express at the Glendale Galleria in Glendale, California. Peggy Cherng customizes the restaurant’s operating systems to assure the very best food and service.

The first Hibachi-San opens in Bloomington, Minnesota, delivering a teppanyaki grill experience, as well as sushi, in a retail setting.

Committed to serving the communities in which we operate, Panda Restaurant Group proudly launches Panda Cares. This philanthropic arm is dedicated to providing food, funding and volunteer services to children’s organizations and disaster relief efforts.

For their continued contributions to the fresh-casual dining landscape, Andrew and Peggy Cherng are inducted into the California Restaurant Association Hall of Fame.

Panda Express opens its 888th restaurant in Sacramento, California. Eight is considered the luckiest number in Chinese culture. Panda Restaurant Group hires its 15,000th active associate.

Guest love and enthusiasm propels Panda Express to open its 1,000th location in Pasadena, California. Panda Restaurant Group achieves $1 billion in revenue for the first time and is named one of the Top 10 Best Places to Work by the Los Angeles Business Journal.

Panda Express opens its first global restaurant in Mexico City, Mexico. Additional locations outside the U.S. now include Guam, Puerto Rico, Canada, South Korea, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia.

Panda Restaurant Group celebrates its 40th Anniversary and Panda Express celebrates its 30th Anniversary.

Panda Restaurant Group achieves $2.2 billion in sales and closes the year with 26,000 associates and more than 1,750 restaurants.

Panda Restaurant Group is named one of the Best Employers by Forbes magazine and is honored with the Golden Chain Award by the National Restaurant Association.

Panda Express opens restaurants in Guatemala and Japan

Founders Andrew and Peggy Cherng were inducted into the Carnegie Corporation of New York's 2019 Class of Great Immigrants, celebrating outstanding individuals who enrich our communities and culture, strengthen our economy, and invigorate our democracy.