ROSEMEAD, Calif., June 27, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Panda Express, the world leader in Asian dining experiences, is giving guests the power to decide – classic fried rice or brown fried rice? Beginning July 3 through August 31, Panda Express will offer both options, allowing guests to vote on which fried rice will remain on the menu and continue as the most widely served fried rice in the United States.
In 2012, Panda served almost 70 million pounds of its classic, white long-grain fried rice. That's enough to fill 158 Olympic-size swimming pools. Frequent guest input and requests for brown rice inspired Panda's culinary team to craft and introduce steamed brown rice and brown fried rice to the menu. Brown rice is known to be a good source of fiber, packed with vitamins and minerals, and rich in antioxidants.
Brown fried rice replaced classic fried rice earlier this year to much acclaim. However, a passionate group of Panda guests have inspired the company to put the question to a referendum at Panda's more than 1,600 stores across the United States
"Our goal is to make life delicious," said Andrew Cherng, co-founder and CEO of Panda Express. "We listened to our guests when we began offering brown fried rice and now we are listening again. We cannot go wrong when we empower our guests."
During the campaign, Panda Express will track the number of orders of classic fried rice and the new brown fried rice. Guests may track the results on Panda's Facebook page. Once the final numbers have been tallied, the winning fried rice will remain on the menu as America's favorite. Steamed white and brown rice will continue to stay on the menu.
About Panda Express
2013 marks Panda Express' 30th Anniversary. Founded in 1983, with over 1,600 locations in 42 states, Panda Express is part of Panda Restaurant Group, the world leader in Asian dining experiences. The successful chain of concepts includes Panda Express, Panda Inn and Hibachi-San. Panda Express is best known for its wide variety of original recipes including their famous Orange Chicken®, Beijing Beef, SweetFire Chicken Breast®, Award Winning Honey Walnut Shrimp™ and Shanghai Angus Steak™. For more information visit, www.pandaexpress.com, or become a fan on Facebook.