Panda Express CEO Says China Eatery Bearing Its Name Is a Knock-Off
Xu Wei
DATE:  Oct 20 2020
/ SOURCE:  Yicai
Panda Express CEO Says China Eatery Bearing Its Name Is a Knock-Off Panda Express CEO Says China Eatery Bearing Its Name Is a Knock-Off

(Yicai Global) Oct. 20 -- Panda Express,the biggest Chinese fast food chain in the US, said it has not opened what would have been its first outlet in China, contrary to a media report.

The whole thing is a swindle by someone with an ulterior motive to exploit the brand to rake in money, Panda Express founder and Chief Executive Andrew Cherng said in a statement on Oct. 18.

The denial follows a report in The Paper on Oct. 16 that said an outlet of California-based Panda Express had opened in Wuyue Plaza inKunming, the capital of China’s southwest Yunnan province. A mall employee said the outlet was genuine and its agent was Shenzhen Xiguifu Catering Management. But The Paper was unable to contact the firm for comment at the time.

Any so-called Panda Express eateries in China are pretenders, the company said, adding that it has not authorized any agent or individual to set up a franchise using its name in the country.

Panda Express was founded by Cherng, a Chinese-born American, in 1983. Its Tangerine chicken, General Tso’s chicken and Kung Pao chicken are the main impressions of Chinese food for many Americans.

Editor: Peter Thomas

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Keywords:   US,Yunnan Province,Panda Express,Catering