The Panda Inn in Pasadena, the restaurant that preceded the quick service chain Panda Express, reopened Friday, Nov. 15 after a nearly two-year overhaul.
The full service restaurant, at 3488 E Foothill Blvd., was opened 51 years ago by Andrew and Peggy Chrerng and Andrew’s father, Ming Tsai Cherng, a chef.
Around 100 community members, loyal patrons, family friends and elected officials gathered in front of Panda Inn in Pasadena on Friday morning to celebrate the re-opening of the restaurant.
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Among the attendees was Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, who cut the ribbon at the ceremony and shared his personal connection to the iconic restaurant.
“I myself have fond memories of so many of the employees here who knew the names of my kids, who knew my name long before I was mayor,” he said.
Gordo congratulated the Cherng family for contributing not only to Pasadena, to his customers, and also to the employees who have found opportunities through their businesses.
“Your story, Mr. Cherng, and your family’s story, is an American story. It’s the ultimate American story,” Gordo said . “As an immigrant to come here, to Pasadena and start such a legacy, and to give so many an opportunity to be a part of that legacy, is something that I, and everyone in Pasadena and all of you should be proud of.”
Attendees included Mary Frances Brennan, who said she, her husband and her four children have been regulars at the restaurant since the day it first opened.
The restaurant was “just like a little cottage, the floor wasn’t even straight,” said Brennan, who lived in Pasadena when the restaurant first opened. But “it got popular right away” due to the hard work of its owners.
The Panda Inn closed in January, 2023 for a makeover that included private dining rooms, patio seating, a sushi bar and artwork that tells the Cherngs’ immigrant story.
The family emigrated from Yangzhou, China, by way of Taiwan and Yokohama, Japan, which explains the sushi.
Andrew and Peggy Cherng hosted a preview Thursday night with their daughter Andrea Cherng. They were joined by Andrew’s mother Fung-Ing Cherng.
“I’m so glad this turned out so beautifully. It’s so grand” Andrew Cherng said in a “fireside chat” with Andrea Cherng, who is his company’s chief brand officer.
The role of the restaurant is bridging cultures through food, Andrea Cherng said.
When it opened on June 29, 1973, the restaurant was not an immediate success, according to Andrew Cherng.
“I thought it was going to be a big success right off the bat. God had different plans,” he said. “It actually started out so slow. The first month we did $12,000. That’s like $400 a day. Even back then, it was not a good number.”
“I really learned the value of every guest. What a journey, right? One guest at a time.”
Andrea Cherng has fond memories of being in the Panda Inn as a toddler.
“I would wobble into the kitchen and my grandfather, who was our first chef, would pick me up and feed me hot and sour soup. As I got a little bit older, it was climbing over the bar to grab the maraschino cherries.”
A picture of Andrea as a young child trying to work the reception desk was included in a collection of family photos on display at the entrance.
The business gradually gained momentum, and in October 1983 the Cherngs opened their first Panda Express in the Glendale Galleria. That site later introduced the signature dish Original Orange Chicken.
Today, Panda Express has more than 2,500 locations throughout the United States and 11 countries. Andrew and Peggy Cherng are co-chief executive officers of the Panda Restaurant Group, based in Rosemead.
There are also full-service Panda Inns in Glendale, Ontario and La Palma.
Ruben and Elena Diaz of Covina said they have eaten at almost all of the Panda Inn locations, and what kept them coming back is the restaurant’s consistently good quality food quality, cleanliness of the place and its service.
“Obviously, they have to culturally adapt to America, but the food quality is always there. It’s excellent,” Ruben Diaz said.
“This restaurant is all about heritage, and we hope you enjoy the reopening of our Pasadena Panda Inn,” Andrea Cherng said. “We hope it’s a space that reminds you of the best of family, the best of honoring heritage, and also, the best of making moments that matter.”
Information: pandainn.com