TL;DR
Panda Express is the largest Asian chain in the U.S. with over 2,600 locations and $6 billion in annual sales. The chain's success is attributed to its innovation, including automated woks and a mobile ordering platform, while maintaining its Chinese heritage.
- Quick Service \ \ Take-Away with Sam Oches features interviews with CEOs and founders of restaurant companies big and small, sharing their stories and ideas for the future but also real, tangible insights for how to innovate in our foodservice future. How innovation helped Panda Express become the largest Asian chain in U.S. An exclusive interview with chief brand officer Andrea Cherng reveals how the brand achieves originality even as it honors its heritage. Sam Oches, Editor in Chief July 23, 2026 Apple Podcasts Web Embed LinkedinFacebookTwitterRedditEmail Panda Express is the No. 1 Asian restaurant chain in the U.S. by a mile. The chain has more than 2,600 locations in the U.S. earning more than $6 billion annually — nearly eight times the sales figure of the second-largest Asian chain, P.F. Chang’s. Key to that success is innovation: From automated woks in its kitchens to a robust mobile ordering platform, Panda Express has continuously modernized its system in order to meet consumer demand, even as it maintains deep roots in Chinese heritage that goes back thousands of years. Andrea Cherng, chief brand officer for parent company Panda Restaurant Group and daughter of cofounders Andrew and Peggy Cherng, said that Panda Express’s goal is “honoring origin while aiming for originality.” NRN just named Panda Express as this year’s Brand Icon winner, and editor in chief Sam Oches traveled to Panda’s Support Center in Rosemead, Calif., to sit down with Panda’s leadership to learn more about how it balances its heritage with its desire to create something wholly original. And in the latest episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, we’re sharing the full interview with Andrea Cherng, offering an exclusive look at how an immigrant ethos drives Panda’s growth and how the chain creates valuable experiences both in stores and its digital channels. Related: How Black Rock Coffee Bar plans to stand out in crowded beverage category Contact Sam Oches at sam.oches@informa.com. LinkedinFacebookTwitterRedditEmail About the Author Sam Oches Editor in Chief Sam Oches is an award-winning Editorial Director with Informa Connect Foodservice and editor in chief of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. A graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, Sam previously served as Editorial Director of Food News Media, publisher of QSR and FSR magazines. He’s a past president of the International Foodservice Editorial Council (IFEC) and a past board member with the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). His foodservice insights have been shared in national media outlets such as the New York Times, USA Today, National Public Radio, and CNBC. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife and three kids. See more from Sam Oches Subscribe Nation's Restaurant News Newsletters Get the latest breaking news in the industry, analysis, research, recipes, consumer trends, the latest products and more. 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This story was originally published by Sam Oches in Nation's Restaurant News on July 23, 2026. Burnaze summarizes and links to the original reporting.
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