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Panda Express is a fast casual restaurant chain which serves American Chinese cuisine. It operates mainly in the United States, where it was founded, and is the largest chain of its kind in that country. Panda Express restaurants were traditionally located in shopping mall food courts, but the chain now operates units in many other environments and formats, including stand-alone restaurants, as well as universities, casinos, airports, military bases, and other venues. Panda Express has over 1,500 restaurants, located in 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, Canada, Mexico, Korea, and the United Arab Emirates. The company does not offer franchises. All units are company-owned and operated. The chain offers a variety of Chinese-cuisine-inspired dishes (e.g., Orange Chicken; Firecracker Chicken Breast; Beijing Beef; Grilled Teriyaki Chicken; Kung Pao Chicken). "Combo meals" are served with customer's choice of either fried rice, steamed rice, chow mein, or mixed vegetables. No MSG is added to any of the items at Panda Express after it has been delivered to the restaurant, nor does Panda Express purchase from any suppliers who add MSG prior to delivery.〔(). Panda Express does not add MSG to any of our entrees or sides and we do not purchase products from suppliers who add MSG. However, glutamate is found naturally in some ingredients.〕 Panda Express is headquartered in Rosemead, California.〔"(Contact Us )." Panda Express. Retrieved on February 26, 2010.〕 The Panda Express brand is a casual, fast-food variation of corporate sibling and predecessor Panda Inn (a chain of upscale, table service restaurants). == History == The Panda Restaurant Group, parent company of Panda Inn, Panda Express, and Hibachi-San, was founded by Andrew and Peggy Cherng and Andrew's father, Master Chef Ming Tsai Cherng.〔(Panda Restaurant Group History )〕 Andrew Cherng and his father are from the Yangzhou region of China's Jiangsu province, while Peggy was born in Burma and raised in Hong Kong. Both Andrew and Peggy Cherng are alumni of Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas (where they first met).〔("Cherngs honored for contributions in L.A. area" ), ''Baker Pride'' alumni magazine, Baker University, Baldwin City, Kansas, Spring 2008 issue.〕 Peggy Cherng received her B.S. degree in applied mathematics from Oregon State University in 1971, and her M.S. in Computer Science and Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia.〔("OSU ALUMNI FELLOWS 2000: OSU honors veterinarian, animal nutrition researcher and president of Panda Management ), ''Oregon Stater Association News'', Oregon State University, 2000〕 Andrew Cherng also received his M.S. in Mathematics from the University of Missouri.〔("Profile: Andrew Cherng" ), Fremont College, Board of Advisors.〕 In 1973, when Andrew's parents moved to the United States, Andrew went into business with his father and opened their first Panda Inn restaurant in Pasadena, California.〔〔 In 1982, Peggy joined Andrew in the restaurant business.〔 While operating Panda Inn, Andrew became acquainted with then-UCLA head football coach Terry Donahue, as well as Terry's brother Dan, who happened to be in the real estate business.〔 It was because of this connection that 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 launched that October.〔James Flanigan, "Cooking Up a Powerhouse of Chinese Fast Food," ''Los Angeles Times'', October 8, 2001, C1.〕 The chain has steadily expanded across the United States since then. At first, Panda Express restaurants were found solely in food courts in major shopping malls.〔 During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Cherngs began experimenting with supermarket-based branches, through a deal with Vons, and then stand-alone restaurant locations.〔 Because Peggy had worked for several years as an software designer and engineer for defense contractors like McDonnell Douglas, Panda Express computerized its operations early on.〔〔 Peggy also brought a systems analysis perspective to the business and worked through the logistics and standardization issues necessary to scale up the concept.〔〔 In 1997, the company opened its first stand-alone, drive-through restaurant, in Hesperia, California.〔Bruce Haring, "Panda gains higher visibility for chain amid shift from malls, food courts," ''Nation's Restaurant News'', August 9, 2004, 6.〕 In 2008, the Cherngs were the recipients of the City of Angels Award, given by the LAX Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce,〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce - Home )〕 for their contributions to the greater Los Angeles area.〔("Andrew and Peggy Cherng of Panda Restaurant Group Receive City of Angels Award Honoring Contributions to the Los Angeles Area" ), Business Wire, February 8, 2008.〕 On November 23, 2009, it was announced that Panda Express had selected Trusonic to provide Asian themed background music to its store locations.〔("Panda Express Selects Trusonic(R) to Provide In-Store Background Music" ), ''PR Newswire Association'', November 23, 2009〕 On the ABC News TV program ''Nightline'', April 18, 2011, there was a feature segment on Panda Express and its success. The segment described how Andrew Cherng encourages his workers and management to go through self-help programs emphasizing Landmark Education.〔Berman, John; Rosenberg, Sarah, ("Panda Express: Self-Help Courses and Zumba Are Recipe for Success? CEO Says Motivational Forums, Not Orange Chicken, Make His Business Successful" ), ''ABC News Nightline'', April 18, 2011〕 In June 2013, it was announced that the restaurant chain will pay $150,000 to settle an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission action on behalf of at least three female teenagers who were allegedly sexually harassed between 2007 and 2009 by one male kitchen supervisor in Kauai, Hawaii. As of 2014, the Panda Restaurant Group had annual sales of over $2 billion and close to 25,000 employees.〔(Panda Restaurant Group information page )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Panda Express」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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