Panda Express CEO Responds to Chinese Food ‘Authenticity’ Criticisms

Key Points:

• Panda Express, the largest Asian restaurant chain in the U.S. with over 2,500 locations, is known for its signature American Chinese dishes like orange chicken, fortune cookies, and egg rolls.
• Co-CEOs Andrew and Peggy Cherng emphasize that the chain serves "American Chinese food," blending Chinese and American culinary traditions rather than focusing on strict authenticity.
• Orange chicken, created by Panda Express chef Andy Kao in 1987, is a fusion dish inspired by a citrus-flavored recipe from China’s Hunan province and remains the chain’s top-selling item with about 148 million pounds ordered last year.
• Despite criticisms about authenticity, the Cherngs prioritize meeting customer preferences and have built a fast-food empire while maintaining a family-run, mom-and-pop approach to business.
• Since its origins in the 1970s as a single sit-down restaurant, Panda Express has expanded to diverse locations such as malls, airports, and college campuses, appealing to both immigrant families and younger generations.