The Beloved Fast Food Chain That Started As A Food Court Staple

Back before online shopping replaced in-person visits, malls were busy replacing small retail stores. In the 1980s, teenagers and families were hanging out in these indoor mega-shopping centers, and the communal dining experience was brought to the scene for shoppers. Along with Orange Julius and Hot Dog on a Stick, another food court staple was introduced around this time: Panda Express.

The original Panda Express opened in Southern California's Glendale Galleria in 1983 as a fast-casual version of the Chinese-American sit-down restaurant Panda Inn, located a few blocks away. Panda Express now has 2,600 stores around the world; Panda Inn has four, all in Southern California. Both restaurants are still owned by founders Andrew and Peggy Cherng, making them one of the few family-owned restaurants still around. You can still visit the Panda Express in the Glendale Galleria, and it is worth a trip for any nostalgic mall-goers who wish to visit a rare thriving mall in modern America.

While Panda Inn and Panda Express were far from the first Chinese-American restaurants, Panda Express's early mall food court locations introduced many in the U.S. to the cuisine. For the first ten years, the fast food chain could only be found in malls. Hungry shoppers walking by meant the chain did not need to spend much on marketing, and the owners expanded steadily with 100 more locations opened by 1993. California still has the most Panda Express locations, currently with 623.

Menu items were inspired by the flavors of Mandarin and Sichuan cuisines, adapted to the tastes of the founders' new country. The early menu included fried rice, mu shu, barbecue, and sweet and sour pork. Panda Express' now high-selling orange chicken didn't come until 1987, when executive chef Andy Kao opened a new location in Hawaii. There, he was inspired by Hawaii's citrus and made a variation of a famous sweet and sour sauce from Yangzhou using local ingredients. Perhaps if it wasn't at a fast food chain, it would be considered fusion food. For many, Panda Express has been an introduction and eventual bridge to new flavors and dishes from China.