Panda Express is testing a burrito with one huge twist
Panda Express
While the American-Chinese food chain is famous for dishes like Orange Chicken, this trendy spot is the only location where you can order items like the Orange Chicken Wrap - a burrito that wraps the classic fried chicken and crispy wontons in a scallion pancake.
The Panda Express Innovation Kitchen has served as a live test kitchen for the chain since 2014, allowing the company to gather customer feedback while testing new items.
While at the typical Panda Express, customers build a plate from various pots of menu options, the Panda Innovation kitchen uses a model popularized by the recent influx in fast-casual chains: the build-your-own bowl or burrito option.
"We went through so many iterations of scallion pancakes," Panda Express spokesperson Thien Ho told Business Insider.
The scallion pancake is just one dish that you can only find at the Innovation Kitchen. Toppings like green papaya slaw and pickled cucumbers, as well as new sauces like citrus ginger vinaigrette are unique to the location.
Panda Express
Even the design of the Innovation Kitchen sets it apart from the average Panda Express location. According to Ho, the company worked with a Chinese-American architecture firm to identify the Chinese-American aesthetics the chain wants to work into its designs.
As a result, the location is open and minimalist, filled with clean lines and wood textures.
While many of these changes will likely never become the norm at locations across the US, the Innovation Kitchen could be key to the future of Panda Express.
The company has recently taken stake in trendy fast-casual chains like Just Salad and Pieology Pizza and rolled out new, healthier options like Pacific Chili Shrimp. It's clear that Panda Express is looking for ways to keep up with the fast-casual competition - and these changes are likely being tested in the Innovation Kitchen.
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