Panda Express Founder Peggy Cherng Uses Tech Savvy to Fuel Growth of $5B Chinese Food Empire
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Peggy Cherng used her engineering background to build Panda Express into the largest Chinese fast food chain in the U.S. with over $5 billion in annual sales.
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She customized sales and analytics software to track daily operations and standardize recipes across all 2,400 locations.
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The Cherngs have self-funded Panda's growth, opening about 100 new locations each year, and avoided franchising to maintain control.
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Panda Express generates nearly $2.4 million in revenue per store, making it one of the top performers among U.S. restaurant chains.
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The goal is to double revenue to $10 billion by 2028 through domestic and international expansion, including via franchising.