Panda Express Expands Into Mexico

Panda Express, the world’s leader in Asian dining experiences, today announced it’s expanding into Mexico and will open its first Panda Express restaurant on Saturday, Sept. 3 in Mexico City. The company is actively looking to open more locations in the next year with the second restaurant scheduled to be a freestanding unit.

Panda Express has partnered with premier master franchiser Grupo Gigante for its Mexico development and operation of its restaurants. The company is a key player in the Mexican economy, as it has acquired commercial chains and created strategic alliances to develop Mexico and generate jobs for the country. Both companies share the same intense focus on people development and community support.

“In Mexico today, there is no clear leader in the Chinese fast casual industry. This expansion is an opportunity for Panda Express to launch this sector by bringing our Orange Chicken and other favorites to the Mexican consumer,” said Bob Lustig, senior vice president, Panda Express International. “We have spent the last year developing deep relationships with the Grupo Gigante team, which has set a solid foundation for the success of this venture.”

Founded in 1983, with nearly 1,400 locations the privately-held Panda Restaurant Group is the world’s leader in Asian dining experiences. The successful chain of concepts includes Panda Express, Panda Inn and Hibachi-San. Panda Express is best known for its wide variety of original recipes including their famous Orange Chicken, Beijing Beef, SweetFire Chicken Breast, Honey Walnut Shrimp and Kobari Beef.