The Pandas are in an affectionate mood. Seventy-one Panda Express managers are gathered in the banquet room of the Dynasty Restaurant in San Jose, waiting in line to make a commitment in front of their colleagues to improve themselves—and the business.
They are wearing orange T-shirts advertising their newest entrée, Kobari Beef. “I’m feeling saucy,” the shirts read. They call themselves “Pandas” because they are employees of Panda Restaurant Group (PRG), a privately owned, 1,350-location “fast casual” Asian restaurant chain with $1.4 billion in annual sales.
Part of being a successful Panda is buying into a process that founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer Andrew Cherng, 62, calls “a continuous commitment to sharpening yourself.” That means standing before your fellow Pandas and speaking honestly and openly about your personal and business failings.
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