Original Panda Inn - which led to Panda Express chain - reopens in Pasadena

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- There are now nearly 2,500 Panda Express locations across the U.S. and 11 countries. But it all started with one location in Pasadena in 1973, the Panda Inn - which reopened Friday following renovations.

"This restaurant was started by my father, my grandmother, and my grandfather," said Andrea Cherng, chief brand officer of the Panda Restaurant Group.

On Friday, the Cherng family welcomed guests for the grand reopening of its flagship location which was closed for significant renovations for about two years.

"This restaurant is a way of us paying homage to the giants that came before us," said Cherng.

The new artwork and dishes tell an ancestral, migration and culinary story that begins in Yangzhou, China where Master Chef Ming-Tsai Cherng was born. Cherng, his wife Fung-Ing, and son Andrew then immigrated to Taiwan, Japan, and the U.S.

"We have classic Yangzhou dishes such as lion's head meatball, shredded tofu, to dishes like popcorn chicken and rou fan, which is braised pork belly rice that's from Taiwan. Then we have a brand new sushi bar," said chef Jimmy Wang, executive director of product innovation and development at Panda Express.

Cofounder and CEO Andrew Cherng said progress came slowly when they opened 51 years ago.

"I thought I was going to be an instant hit," he said. "That was a blessing in disguise because it really taught us the importance of the guest."

The Panda Inn is described as a tribute from Cherng to his father, who died in 1981, and a love letter to loyal patrons.

In 1999 the restaurant established its philanthropic arm, Panda Cares, raising more than $375 million to support hospitals, education, and disaster relief, among other initiatives.