Panda Express
Your starting point for Panda Express menu prices, Family Meals, Catering, Panda Rewards, locations and brand information.
Panda Express is a Fast Food chain founded by Andrew and Peggy Cherng in Glendale, California in 1983, known for American Chinese entrées like The Original Orange Chicken served in a Bowl, Plate or Bigger Plate, plus Family Meals and Catering for groups. This page is the central hub for our coverage. Start with the Panda Express Menu Prices guide for the complete menu and exact three-city price observations, or choose a specialist guide below for Family Meal, Catering, Orange Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Nutrition or Hours.
Explore Our Panda Express Guides
Each guide answers a separate search purpose. This entity hub keeps the brand overview concise while the linked pages provide the detailed prices, calories, availability notes and store differences. That structure prevents the complete menu from being duplicated across multiple URLs.
Every category, with exact Los Angeles, Dallas and New York prices and calories.
View the complete menu → Feeds 4-6Family Meal MenuEvery Family Meal size, entrée and side combination, plus Premium Entree upgrade pricing.
See Family Meals → Groups & eventsCatering MenuParty Tray and Catering Party Bundle pricing, portion sizes and how many people each tray feeds.
View Catering → The signature dishOrange Chicken MenuEvery way to order The Original Orange Chicken, from à la carte to Panda Cub Meal and catering.
See Orange Chicken → Spicy favoriteKung Pao Chicken MenuWhere Kung Pao Chicken is offered, real store-level availability gaps, and every size price.
See Kung Pao Chicken → Calories & allergensNutrition & Calories MenuCalorie counts for every entrée, side and drink, plus allergen guidance.
Check Nutrition → Before you goPanda Express HoursTypical opening and closing times, and how hours can differ by store and holiday.
See Hours →Popular Panda Express Price Snapshot
Individual restaurants set local menu prices. The ranges below summarize exact price observations from our fixed Los Angeles, Dallas and New York restaurants on 8 Sep 2026. They are not national list prices, averages or delivery totals. Open the full menu or a relevant child guide above for city-by-city detail and store-difference context.
Current observed ranges
| Popular item | Observed range |
|---|---|
| Bowl | $8.50–$11.10 |
| Bigger Plate | $12.50–$15.10 |
| The Original Orange Chicken (Medium, à la carte) | $8.70–$10.50 |
| Kung Pao Chicken (Medium, à la carte) | $8.70–$10.50 |
| Cantonese BBQ Brisket (Medium, à la carte) | $13.20–$15.50 |
| Chow Mein (Medium, à la carte) | $4.60–$5.25 |
The fixed research restaurants are our three-city Panda Express anchors in Los Angeles CA, Dallas TX and New York NY — see the full methodology on our complete menu pillar for exact addresses. Taxes, delivery markups and optional customizations are excluded.
How to Order
See our complete menu prices guide for exact three-city pricing on every category, or a specialist child guide above for Family Meal, Catering, Orange Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Nutrition or Hours specifically.
Panda Express Rewards — Panda Rewards™
Panda Express’s official current loyalty program is called Panda Rewards™. According to Panda Restaurant Group’s own official newsroom, new members receive a Welcome Gift of 25% off their order (up to $10 off) when they join through the Panda Express app or PandaRewards.com. Members then earn 10 Panda Points™ for every dollar spent on qualifying purchases — gift cards, third-party delivery, taxes, fees, donations, alcohol and tips don’t count toward points. Once a member reaches 200 Panda Points, they can start redeeming rewards, ranging from premium entrée upgrades to a free Family Meal at higher point totals.
Panda Rewards also includes a monthly “Good Fortune Gift™” on a member’s first qualifying purchase each month, a birthday reward, and digital fortune-cookie messages with collectible in-app gifts. Regular points don’t expire unless an account is inactive for 12 months.
For real current pricing on the items you’d earn Panda Points on, see our complete Panda Express Menu Prices guide.
Panda Express Locations
According to Panda Restaurant Group’s own official “Our Brands” page, Panda Express operates over 2,600 locations worldwide and is described by the company as “the nation’s largest Asian restaurant chain.” Panda Express is part of Panda Restaurant Group, which also operates the sit-down Panda Inn concept (founded 1973) and supports several other restaurant brands.
Panda Restaurant Group is led by co-founders Andrew Cherng and Peggy Cherng, who continue to hold leadership roles in the company according to its own official history page.
For a nearby restaurant, use the official location finder. Open the selected restaurant’s page to check its address, hours and current promotions. Hours, service options and menu availability — including specific Bowl formats and Bigger Plate Bundle sides — can differ between nearby restaurants, as our own three-city research found.
A Short Brand History
According to Panda Restaurant Group’s own official “Our Story” page, the Cherng family’s restaurant roots began in 1973, when Andrew Cherng and his father, Master Chef Ming-Tsai Cherng, opened the full-service Panda Inn in Pasadena, California. Ten years later, in 1983, Andrew and his wife Peggy Cherng opened the first Panda Express as a fast-casual concept at the Glendale Galleria Mall in Glendale, California — introducing profit-sharing for store general managers from the start.
Panda Restaurant Group remains led by co-founders Andrew and Peggy Cherng, and today operates Panda Express alongside Panda Inn and several other restaurant concepts.
Panda Express Nutrition and Allergen Information
Our three-city research captured calories directly from Panda Express’s own official nutrition documentation, item by item — see our Nutrition & Calories guide for the full entrée, side and drink breakdown, or our complete Panda Express Menu Prices guide for pricing alongside calories.
This research pass covered pricing and calories, not full ingredient-level allergen data on every item. For allergen information, use Panda Express’s official nutrition and allergen documentation or ask restaurant staff directly, since preparation and shared kitchen equipment can affect cross-contact risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Panda Express best known for?
Panda Express is best known for The Original Orange Chicken and other American Chinese entrées served in a Bowl, Plate or Bigger Plate over rice, chow mein or a mix, plus Family Meals and Catering for groups.
When and where did Panda Express start?
Andrew and Peggy Cherng opened the first Panda Express in 1983 at the Glendale Galleria Mall in Glendale, California, ten years after Andrew and his father, Master Chef Ming-Tsai Cherng, opened the original Panda Inn in Pasadena in 1973.
How many Panda Express locations are there?
According to Panda Restaurant Group’s own official ‘Our Brands’ page, Panda Express operates over 2,600 locations worldwide and is described by the company as the nation’s largest Asian restaurant chain.
Who owns Panda Express?
Panda Express is part of Panda Restaurant Group, led by co-founders Andrew and Peggy Cherng, who continue to hold leadership roles according to the company’s own official history page.
Why do Panda Express menu prices and availability vary by location?
Our own three-city research found real price differences across nearly every category, plus genuine availability gaps — Bowl-format Kung Pao Chicken was only orderable at our Los Angeles restaurant, and a Bigger Plate Bundle rice option was only offered at our Dallas restaurant.
Does Panda Express have a rewards program?
Yes — Panda Rewards™. Members earn 10 Panda Points per $1 spent, get a Welcome Gift of 25% off (up to $10 off) on joining, and can redeem rewards starting at 200 points, plus a monthly Good Fortune Gift and a birthday reward.
What is Panda Express’s signature dish?
The Original Orange Chicken, created in 1987 by Chef Andy Kao. It remains Panda Express’s best-known entrée, available à la carte, in Bowls, Plates, Family Meals, Catering and the Panda Cub Meal.
Where can I find Panda Express’s calories and nutrition info?
We captured calories directly from Panda Express’s own official nutrition documentation, item by item. See our Nutrition & Calories guide or our complete Menu Prices guide for the exact figures.
Our Methodology
This entity hub was verified on 8 Sep 2026. Brand history and founding facts were checked against Panda Restaurant Group’s own official ‘Our Story’ page, not a third-party source. The worldwide location count and brand description were checked against Panda Restaurant Group’s own official ‘Our Brands’ page. Panda Rewards terms were checked against Panda Restaurant Group’s own official newsroom announcement of the program’s launch. Panda Restaurant Group’s own official materials do not state a specific ownership classification (private vs. public), so this page describes leadership rather than asserting an unstated ownership structure.
The price snapshot uses the same fixed three-city research published in our complete menu pillar and specialist child pages — Los Angeles, Dallas and New York. Each figure belongs to its named restaurant. No national price is inferred, no missing value is estimated and delivery totals are excluded. This hub summarizes the cluster; detailed tables remain on their dedicated pages.