Panda Express, the fast-casual American Chinese fast-food chain, is getting ready to open a new location in Clairemont at 4961 Clairemont Drive, Suite B.
The company recently submitted permits to move into the former home of Pick Up Stix in Clairemont Town Square. The restaurant will sit next to Arely French Bakery Cafe, becoming the only Asian-related eatery in the shopping center. There is no exact opening date, considering the city is reviewing the company’s submitted plans, but it will likely be sometime next year. When it opens, customers can expect a variety of delicious Chinese favorites.
Last year, the Rosemead-based chain unveiled the new Panda Auto Wok, or PAW, proprietary technology. The company introduced the concept last year to 360 restaurants nationwide, taking on some of the physical labor required for high-volume wok-cooked dishes. The company is now expanding throughout the country with the help of this new technology, which is speeding up throughput at restaurants.
“We’ve added Panda Automated Woks (PAWs) to the back-of-house area to support the heavy work of our back-of-house associates while maintaining the quality, wok-tossed menu items that our fans have come to know and love,” Evelyn Wah, vice president of brand innovation and menu strategy, tells QSR early this year. “Automated woks reduce the physically demanding component of wok-cooking techniques for store associates and elevate operational efficiencies. We are also planning to replace traditional flat top grills with faster clamshell grills in the future.”
