Beyond the Orange Chicken: Panda Express Founders’ Mission to Build the ‘American Dream’

For millions of Americans, Panda Express is synonymous with its signature orange chicken. But for the company’s founders, Andrew and Peggy Cherng, the success of the fast-casual giant is measured by a far more personal metric: how many of their employees achieve the milestones of the traditional American dream, specifically homeownership.

“I always believe that when you do well personally, then you can go out and take care of other people,” said Andrew Cherng, co-founder, co-chair, and co-CEO of Panda Express. “You want people to do well, and you want to treat them well.”

A Barometer of Success

In an era where the path to homeownership has become increasingly treacherous for the middle class, the Cherngs are taking an active role in their staff’s financial growth. Andrew Cherng measures the company’s progress by tracking how many of his managers earn six-figure salaries and, crucially, how many are able to purchase their own homes.

This goal is set against a backdrop of significant national headwinds. With mortgage rates hovering around 6.8% and housing stock at historic lows, the American dream of owning a home has slipped out of reach for many. Furthermore, U.S. Census data reveals that immigrant families face additional hurdles, including language barriers, limited income prospects, and inconsistent access to traditional financing.

For the Cherngs, these challenges are not just statistics; they reflect the realities of their own workforce. “Most of our associates are first-generation immigrants,” Peggy Cherng noted.

From Immigrant Roots to Global Expansion

The couple’s commitment to their employees is deeply rooted in their own experiences. Andrew was born in China and raised in Taiwan and Japan before immigrating to the U.S. in 1966. Peggy was born in Myanmar and raised in Hong Kong. They met while studying at the University of Missouri and eventually launched the first Panda Express in Glendale, California, in 1983.

What started as a casual spin-off of Andrew’s father’s full-service restaurant has ballooned into an industry titan. Today, the privately held company boasts over 2,500 locations across 49 states and 12 countries, employing roughly 55,000 people and generating approximately $7 billion in annual sales.

Transforming ‘Task-Based’ Work into Careers

Despite the massive scale of their operations, the Cherngs continue to view their employees as an extended family. During an interview as part of the Business in America initiative, the couple emphasized that their primary mission is to help staff move beyond viewing their roles as “just a job.”

“We teach them those skills, but to have a good life, you turn that person from being sort of ‘task-based’ to ‘life-based,’” Andrew explained.

Peggy Cherng echoed this sentiment, framing the company’s objective as more than just business growth. “Our mission, our calling, is how we are able to help more associates realize their American dream, establish their business, their career, but most importantly, mark that accomplishment by owning a home.”

By encouraging employees to view homeownership as an attainable reality rather than a distant impossibility, the Cherngs hope to instill a sense of purpose that transcends the workplace. For the founders of America’s largest Asian restaurant chain, the ultimate goal isn’t just serving millions of meals—it’s helping thousands of people build a foundation for the rest of their lives.