Panda Express Is One US State's Favorite Fast Food Chain, Report Reveals

The first Panda Express might have opened in Glendale, California — the state that's home to more Panda Express locations than any other — but according to a report from FinanceBuzz, Panda Express is the most popular fast food chain in Hawaii. It first came to the Aloha State in 1987 and has grown to 37 locations serving 1.4 million residents — and countless tourists from around the world.

FinanceBuzz assembled its report on all 50 states' favorite fast food chains by analyzing Google Trends data in combination with restaurants per capita for each brand and state. The report showed considerable regional variety, but Hawaii was the only state in which Panda Express reigned supreme (California prefers another Golden State icon, In-N-Out).

Hungry tourists searching for Panda Express were likely a part of the Google Trends data in question, but they're also key to the chain's Hawaiian success in more traditional ways. The state's first Panda Express is in a tourist hot spot near the famous Waikiki Beach. Traffic from both tourists and locals have made it a remarkable success. Back in 2007, Star Bulletin recognized the location as the highest-earning Panda Express in the world, as it brought in over $4 million per year at the time. It's still open — and still popular with both tourists and locals.

Panda Express' popularity in the Aloha State begins with its signature dish. The Hawaiian origins of classic orange chicken run straight through Panda Express, as the brand's executive chef, Andy Kao, created the dish in 1987. Kao took a popular plate at Panda's first Hawaiian location and made it boneless, transforming it into an Americanized, Chinese-style sweet-and-sour dish similar to General Tso's chicken.

In addition to its deep Hawaiian ties, there's another practical reason behind Panda Express' popularity there. Many products in Hawaii are pricier than elsewhere because shipping to the world's most remote archipelago is expensive, and companies pass a lot of that cost on to customers. The same is true of Panda Express, but it's still an affordable takeout option in a state where those can be rare.

Another perk to Hawaiian Panda Express is that some customers love its exclusive offerings. Much like how unique Asian-Pacific products are one of the reasons Costco Hawaii is better than other locations, Hawaiian Panda Express has a dish called Chow Fun — think chow mein, but with cabbage and wide, thick rice noodles. The chain only carries this Cantonese-inspired dish in Hawaii.