Panda Express Celebrates Opening of Its Newest Restaurant Location in Franklin, Tennessee
Family-owned and operated restaurant welcomes guests into new “Panda Home” store design, with first 88 guests receiving a free t-shirt on grand opening day, December 3
FRANKLIN, TN (December 2, 2024) – Panda Express®, the largest Asian dining concept in the U.S., is celebrating the grand opening of its newest location in Franklin, Tennessee, with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, December 3, beginning at 9:30 a.m., and the first lucky 88 guests to receive a free Panda Express branded t-shirt1! Located in Franklin at 5045 Carothers Pkwy., the new Panda Express location offers all of Panda’s iconic dishes, including the world-famous The Original Orange Chicken®, award-winning Honey Walnut Shrimp and guest-favorite Broccoli Beef entrée. Guests can also sign up for the new Panda Rewards program on the Panda Express mobile app or online at PandaRewards.com and receive a Welcome Gift2 and exclusive surprises all year long.
“Our entire Panda team is grateful to serve the Franklin community by providing new jobs and supporting local organizations through fundraising opportunities,” said Abanoub Asaad, Panda Express Area Coach of Operations. “We hope to be a lasting part of the community and welcome all guests into our doors to try our American Chinese favorites and discover their own.”
The new location features an updated store design for the restaurant chain, known as Panda Home. The model incorporates design elements inspired by traditional Chinese architecture and traditions with modern motifs that tells the unique story of Panda Express. Panda recognizes consumer habits have changed over the last three years and to meet the needs of guests’ evolved lifestyles, the updated store design creates efficiencies for operators and diners to accommodate the increased demand for online ordering and drive-thru channels.
Job Opportunities Abound for Local Residents
As a family-owned and operated company committed to supporting the communities it serves, Panda has set out to create multiple employment opportunities for local residents, offering one of the highest starting wages in the restaurant industry and comprehensive benefits. A majority of Panda General Managers earn $100,000 annually. Since 2021, Panda has hired nearly 40,000 new associates and continues to hire more. Associates will grow professionally, personally and financially at Panda, as the company provides a wide range of training programs, as well as professional and personal development courses through the University of Panda. Panda is nationally recognized as a top employer by Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For, Great Place to Work Certification and PEOPLE’s Companies That Care list. Those interested in a career with Panda Express can visit Pandacareers.com.
At every Panda Express location, associates ring a bell each time a guest donates to the Panda Cares® in-store donation box. Panda Cares Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express, donates 100 percent of the funds collected to local nonprofit organizations that support the health and education needs of underserved youth. Any organization registered as a nonprofit/501(c)(3)/tax-exempt organization can sign up for the Neighborhood Fundraisers, and Panda donates 20% of pre-tax event sales from in-person and online orders submitted through the Panda Express website or mobile app at the selected Panda location. Organizations can learn more about fundraising opportunities here.
Local store hours are Monday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
For more information on Panda Express, please visit Pandaexpress.com.
About Panda Express
On a mission to inspire better lives, Panda Express® is the largest Asian dining concept in the US. Family-owned and operated since 1983 by Co-Founders and Co-CEOs Andrew and Peggy Cherng, Panda Express is best known as a trailblazer for creating a wide variety of industry-first recipes, including its best seller the Original Orange Chicken® and award-winning Honey Walnut Shrimp, which have defined the category of authentic American Chinese cuisine. Each dish at Panda Express is thoughtfully crafted with quality ingredients and inspired by bold Chinese flavors and culinary principles. The restaurant brand has more than 2,500 locations and has introduced American Chinese cuisine to 11 international countries.
Powered by a global family of associates, Panda Cares®, Panda’s philanthropic arm, has raised more than $375 million and has dedicated countless volunteer hours in bettering the health and education for over 15 million youth, as well as supporting communities in need since 1999. In 2021, Panda Express established the Panda CommUnity Fund — a five-year, $10 million community investment and response program that supports immediate and sustainable solutions from national and local organizations to uplift diverse groups, including people of color and other marginalized communities. For more information about Panda, visit pandaexpress.com, or find us on Facebook, Instagram, X and Tik Tok.
1 For terms and conditions, please visit https://www.pandaexpress.com/promo/nso.
2Terms & Conditions: Taxes, delivery, and other fees still apply. Limit of one (1) Welcome Gift offer per account. Only one reward, offer, or coupon can be applied to a single transaction. Maximum discount of up to $10 for qualifying purchases. Valid at participating Panda Express locations in-store and online at pandaexpress.com or on the Panda Express app. Offer is not valid on catering or for corporate accounts and cannot be combined with other offers unless otherwise specified. Panda Express reserves the right to cancel, suspend, and modify the offer, or any part of it, for any reason at any time without notice, including, without limitation, if any fraud or technical failure impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the offer. Subject to all applicable Panda Rewards Program Terms and Conditions, available at PandaRewards.com. Void where prohibited.
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