The Panda Inn in Pasadena, the restaurant that preceded the quick service chain Panda Express, reopened Friday, Nov. 15 after a nearly two-year overhaul.
The full service restaurant, at 3488 E Foothill Blvd., was opened 51 years ago by Andrew and Peggy Chrerng and Andrew’s father, Ming Tsai Cherng, a chef.
Around 100 community members, loyal patrons, family friends and elected officials gathered in front of Panda Inn in Pasadena on Friday morning to celebrate the re-opening of the restaurant.
Among the attendees was Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, who cut the ribbon at the ceremony and shared his personal connection to the iconic restaurant.
“I myself have fond memories of so many of the employees here who knew the names of my kids, who knew my name long before I was mayor,” he said.
Gordo congratulated the Cherng family for contributing not only to Pasadena, to his customers, and also to the employees who have found opportunities through their businesses.
“Your story, Mr. Cherng, and your family’s story, is an American story. It’s the ultimate American story,” Gordo said . “As an immigrant to come here, to Pasadena and start such a legacy, and to give so many an opportunity to be a part of that legacy, is something that I, and everyone in Pasadena and all of you should be proud of.”
Attendees included Mary Frances Brennan, who said she, her husband and her four children have been regulars at the restaurant since the day it first opened.
The restaurant was “just like a little cottage, the floor wasn’t even straight,” said Brennan, who lived in Pasadena when the restaurant first opened. But “it got popular right away” due to the hard work of its owners.
The Panda Inn closed in January, 2023 for a makeover that included private dining rooms, patio seating, a sushi bar and artwork that tells the Cherngs’ immigrant story.
The family emigrated from Yangzhou, China, by way of Taiwan and Yokohama, Japan, which explains the sushi.
Andrew and Peggy…
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