Panda Express is the largest Asian fast-casual restaurant brand in the United States, and it is the faster-serving counterpart of its predecessor, the more upmarket table-service Panda Inn. It’s worth noting that for many years, the chain’s locations were virtually solely in shopping mall food courts, but in recent years, it’s expanded to include freestanding restaurants.
There are 13 entrées, five appetizers, five sides, and one dessert on the menu (fortune cookies). The great majority of Panda Express outlets are company-owned, therefore non-traditional sites including as airports, colleges, military posts, hospitals, casinos, amusement parks, and stadiums have little franchise potential.