The Popular Fast Food Chain That's Been 100% Family-Owned Since 1983

Chain restaurants often operate in a world of shareholders and public companies, but most of them had small, family-oriented beginnings. Few of them remained family-owned as capitalism inevitably did its thing, which is why a "mom and pop" fast food chain is nearly unheard of. That's what makes Panda Express unique — this beloved fast-casual chain has been 100% family-owned for four decades, led by a married couple, Andrew and Peggy Cherng, who are to this day the co-founders, co-chairs, and co-CEOs of the company.

Andrew and Peggy met in the late '60s at Baker University in Kansas, where they were both enrolled as international students from China. Andrew's father, Ming-Tsai Cherng, was a chef, so the father-son duo opened their first restaurant in 1973. They called it Panda Inn, a chain that still exists today and differs from Panda Express in its sit-down, upscale concept. A decade later, Andrew and Peggy left Panda Inn to pursue their vision for a fast-casual Chinese restaurant, and that's how the very first Panda Express came to be in 1983.

Panda Express' focus on American Chinese cuisine made it unique. The fast food place became massively popular among its customers, especially after 1987, when the original orange chicken was created at the restaurant. Almost 40 years later, it's still the absolute best dish at Panda Express, as well as the most popular.

Panda Express grew rapidly, both in the number of locations and its earnings. By 2007, the chain had a thousand restaurants and a billion dollars in revenue; a decade later, the locations doubled and the revenue tripled. Despite this growth, the Cherng couple has stayed firmly at the helm of the chain, refusing to franchise its locations, as is usually the custom for large fast food operations. They did, however, expand their company, Panda Restaurant Group, to be the franchisee of two Whataburger locations (in Nevada and Southern Utah), as well as own other restaurant chains, like Yakiya and Hibachi-San.

Through the decades, the Cherng family grew as well. Andrew and Peggy have three children, two of whom are employed with the Panda Restaurant Group, holding leadership positions in marketing and catering. Andrea Cherng, the couple's daughter and the chief brand officer, told the National Restaurant Association in 2025 that the company has always remained loyal to the values on which the Cherng couple built the business. "Our values reflect those of my parents," she said, citing "a deep respect for heritage, a relentless drive to move forward, and a deep caring for the people who make everything possible."