Panda Express

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Panda Express

Basic information
Founded	1983
Legal Structure	Subsidiary
Industry	Food
Also known as
Official website	https://www.pandaexpress.com/

Founded in 1983 and owned by Panda Restaurant Group, Panda Express is a American fast food restaurant specializing in Chinese food. It is the largest Asian chain restaurant in the United States and spans across over 2500 locations worldwide.

Consumer-impact summary

Overview of concerns that arise from the conduct towards users of the product (if applicable):

• User Freedom
• User Privacy
• Business Model
• Market Control

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Incidents

This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the Panda Express category.

Mishandling Carbon Dioxide on Soda Machines

In 2025, Panda Express was hit with a civil lawsuit in Riverside County Supreme Court after an investigation showcased the company's dangerous handling of Carbon Dioxide in carbonated fountain beverage system across 500 locations in California, which can result in severe health implications or death. The lawsuits claims the company failed to provide Carbon Dioxide training to employees and failure to disclose employee training information. A $1.056 million settlement was reached on November 20, requiring Panda Express pay "$881,925 in civil penalties, $100,000 in supplemental environmental projects, and $75,000 in cost reimbursement."

Hidden Driver Delivery Fee Charge

On July 1, 2021, a lawsuits was filed by Natasha Scott against Panda Express after promising a $2.95 delivery fee to customers via their website and mobile app around early 2020, however the company applies a "Service Fee" (represented as Tax and Fees on ordering screens) that charge customers 10% extra exclusively on food delivery orders. Additionally, the company failed to notify consumers of the "Service Fee", claiming it was for a "digital experience". On November 20, 2023, the company reached a $1.4 million settlement that requires the company compensate customers who ordered between July 17, 2020, and February 16, 2022 up to $10.

See also

• McDonald's
• Pei Wei
• Pick Up Stix