"Mall food courts were a fixture of life for many Americans who grew up in the 80s and 90s, but as the way people shop evolves, the chains that called food courts home have had to evolve with them. Malls are not completely dead, but the movement of shopping online and the decline of old mall-anchor retailers like Sears and JCPenney has led to drops in foot traffic has led to the closure of 200 malls around the country since 2015."
"Panda Express was quite literally born to exist in mall food courts. Owned by the Cherng family, which has run the business since its founding, Panda Express was originally an offshoot of Panda Inn, the family's original restaurant. Opened in Pasadena, California in 1973, Panda Inn was a popular sit-down neighborhood restaurant. It reached an audience beyond the Chinese-Americans living in the area, and caught the attention of some local developers who were fans."
"The most iconic part of Panda Express' business is what has driven the success of the restaurant to this day. Only a few years after opening, Panda Express debuted what would become its signature dish: orange chicken. The recipe was a Panda Express original, and it evolved from a few other dishes that it had been serving, including a tangerine-peel chicken at Panda Inn and a bone-in chicken dish created for the chain's location in Hawaii."
Panda Express originated as a quick-service spinoff of Panda Inn, opened by the Cherng family. Panda Inn opened in Pasadena in 1973 and served a broad audience. Developers asked the Cherngs to create a mall-friendly concept for Glendale Galleria, leading to Panda Express's first mall opening in 1983. Mall food courts declined due to online shopping and anchor-store closures, causing hundreds of mall closures since 2015, yet Panda Express expanded. Menu innovation and the creation of an original orange chicken recipe helped the chain gain mass appeal. Panda Express grew into one of the most successful U.S. restaurant chains.
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