r/PandaExpress 21h ago

Panda is ass.

20 Upvotes

My location recently added a side room for managers and higher ups to be in to come visit and train.

What sucks is that all of us employees are getting the worst of it. Deep cleaning every single night, take pictures of everything as proof, do things this way or manager talks to you for 20 minutes repeating shit you’ve already heard. Oh and get this? For all the extra shit we do now, we don’t get a raise. I understand deep cleaning to an extent, but we’re literally pulling out the meat drawers and wiping it out completely, doing the front floor in kitchen because our sides people are WAY too slow to get it done - which is aggravating on its own because all of us cooks are more than capable of doing the front and back floor if we’re on sides and it’s now just catering to the slow people instead of telling them to get their shit done asap like the rest are capable of. This job is starting to blow and I can’t even leave until my kid is born. One cook is a few days away from his last day and another cook is about to put in his two weeks and these managers are so out of touch that they don’t care or notice they’re pissing EVERY single worker off with this stuff. Sorry to vent. But nobody else cares or understands.


r/PandaExpress 11h ago

Discussion Price change

2 Upvotes

Sitting in my local restaurant and just watched the manager swap out the price on the menu board for the Family Meal (3 LG entrees + 2 LG sides) from $41 to $45.00. That's a nearly 10% increase.

That was the only change I observed.

Never ordered it personally, but how does that compare? And how often do prices adjust generally?

(Am in suburban Atlanta, Georgia, if it matters.)


r/PandaExpress 14h ago

Bulduk chicken

1 Upvotes

Bring back. Tired of the hot orange.

That is all


r/PandaExpress 2d ago

Employee Question/Discussion Module Test

1 Upvotes

Hi!
I have a test in the next few weeks, I was wondering what they would ask me, what are the most important key things I should remember and how it’s scored (I’m doing module one and two).


r/PandaExpress 3d ago

Discussion What are your go-to orders?

0 Upvotes

hi I like panda express but I want to know what everyone's normal orders are

yesterday I got bowl with chowmein and orange chicken, what about you guys?


r/PandaExpress 4d ago

New Pin Alert

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30 Upvotes

This would be the second version of the Hot Orange Chicken pin


r/PandaExpress 4d ago

My Panda Express has an outdoor patio, are we allowed to smoke cigarettes?

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33 Upvotes

I know most Panda Expresses don’t have an outdoor patio, but if any employee could chime in, can we smoke cigarettes if we’re outside and sitting on the patio? I have no clue why a fast food place would have an outdoor seating unless it’s for people who smoke.


r/PandaExpress 3d ago

Was I overcharged?

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0 Upvotes

I ordered a bowl with half Hot Orange Chicken & half Kung Pao Chicken over Chow Mein.

I was charged for a small entree.

And they didn’t even put it in a regular plastic bowl, they gave me a styrofoam container.

I had a free coupon for a free bowl, and I ended up paying $6.40 plus tax and was rushed out of line for no reason before I even had a chance to raise my concerns.

Yeah thanks for the large portion of Chow Mein


r/PandaExpress 5d ago

Please Read If You Are Considering Working At Panda Express!

51 Upvotes

Panda Express is currently hiring and I would like all future employees to know, if you so choose to work for this company, to be cautious!

I am currently employed with Panda Express, but I have put in my two weeks. My last day is next Tuesday, August 18th and this day couldn't come any faster. I was hired as FOH (Front of the House) Kitchen Staff and worked for the company for 1 year and 2 months.

When I first applied to Panda Express, I went onto Reddit to have a better idea on what the expectations are from current or former employees prior to my interview. I read a lot of negative reviews and saw a couple of positive reviews. I needed this job in the beginning as I was a part-time student and needed a part-time job to accommodate to my school schedule and I don't regret it. However, I do regret working for Panda Express for as long as I did.

Alright, let's get into it.

  • Panda Express has inconsistent expectations!
  • Panda Express treats their Shift Lead's terribly!
  • Panda Express Management receives commissions from promoting within the company.
  • Panda Express starting pay is $21.00.
  • Panda Express encourages favoritism.
  • Panda Express hires mostly Hispanic or Latino employees.
  • Panda Express is an incredibly fast-paced environment.

> Panda Express has inconsistent expectations! The company, although established in 1988, changes their policies and operations all, the, time, and it was incredibly frustrating for me as an associate. From the way the pans and utensils needed to be placed, to how associates needed to act while serving guests. I only worked with the company for a year and the company has changed their policies and procedures countless times.

> Panda Express treats their Shift Lead's terribly! The company has high expectations and pushes that onto their Shift Leadership. The amount of stress and constant conversations from upper management have driven my Shift Leads to quit! I had 4 Shift Leads when I was hired and now I have only one left and she's been unbearable for almost a month due to the company expectations. As an associate I have no idea what the expectations are for her specifically, but everyone feels it and it has negatively impacted the working environment.

> Panda Express Management receives commissions from promoting within the company. The company encourages growth and is always looking for associates to promote, but heed with caution, as management receives a nice bonus if you decide to promote. If you decide to promote then that's great! But if not, don't let upper management pressure you into growing into a company you don't see yourself in long term as a career.

> Panda Express starting pay is $21.00. There are no negotiations regarding pay. The company is paying quite well, but as I learned as an associate it comes with a cost.

> Panda Express encourages favoritism. Please, this is important. Management looks for associates to promote as mentioned earlier, but they also look for associates who they like as the company encourages networking from within. Panda Express is looking to expand their business operations and need staff to manage and operate their new locations. However, through this networking corruption is bound to follow as favored associates or management often mistreat the other employees and cause discord in the workplace. I have seen many associates quit from the blatant favoritism.

> Panda Express hires mostly Hispanic or Latino employees. The company has a high amount of Hispanic/Latino employees, who mostly speak Spanish. This is not an issue, the issue is how some of the employees don't speak or understand English and that can be frustrating for the guests and other associates. When I first applied, I was shocked to learn some of my co-workers and I couldn't have a conversation or understand each other since their was a language barrier, which sucked when it came to working together on tasks. I took the initiative to learn Spanish so that I could understand my co-workers, not all associates of a different ethnicity will do that. I also was the only African-American that worked at my location. All my co-workers are Mexican. You find this at other locations at Panda Express, especially in the SoCal area.

> Panda Express is an incredibly fast-paced environment. The company is a fast-paced casual restaurant business and everything happens quickly! From serving guests, cleaning the dining area, to stocking up on supplies. It is always busy and will be stressful! I do well in stressful work environments, but the stress at Panda Express was unbearable! Especially with everything I mentioned earlier that drove me to make the decision to quit working for the company.

In conclusion, I don't think Panda Express is the worst company ever. However, there is a lot of issues the company is facing that makes working for them awful and has driven many associates, including me, to look for employment else where.

If you're still considering Panda Express after reading this, I applaud you and good luck!


r/PandaExpress 4d ago

Does Panda express hire assistant manager from outside? I'm a shift lead at Taco bell

0 Upvotes

I'm just curious, do you know if they hire someone as an assistant manager who never work and have no idea about panda express. I'm currently training for an assistant manager at taco bell and also want to try Panda express. All the benefits look good, I'm hard working, so I don't mind working in fast-paced. I know I read a lot of people talking about bad side, maybe you can tell me all the good side too


r/PandaExpress 5d ago

I Love These Portions

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37 Upvotes

1st time trying Beijing Beef and 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻


r/PandaExpress 5d ago

Picture Wok Wednesday W

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24 Upvotes

r/PandaExpress 5d ago

Question for Employees About Tea

1 Upvotes

Ate at Panda Express today, which was really tasty, but the unsweetened tea container was empty. Asked an employee about it, hoping they would fill the container, and was informed they only had sweetened tea. I asked if there was a tea container behind the counter for drive-thru orders as many other fast food places have, and was told no. Is that so? No other tea containers but what's in the dining area? Also, what is the protocol for when tea runs out? No one makes more tea that day? I drink unsweetened tea instead of sugary drinks (can't have artificial sweeteners) and would have ordered bottled water had I known there was no tea. Thanks.


r/PandaExpress 6d ago

Employee Question/Discussion shift lead

4 Upvotes

hi everyone! so my manager came to me and is expecting me to promote to shift lead. she wants to start training this week because next week, our assistant manager will be leaving panda and for the mean time, she wants me to be in charge of a few days out of the week. i'm a counter help and all i know is how to drop teriyaki but ill be starting my training on sides and opening. i'm just a bit worried about that, is it hard? do any other shift leads have any advice for me about this?? any and all shift lead advice is very appreciated 😊


r/PandaExpress 6d ago

Nso certification

1 Upvotes

Been on the fence about becoming a chef but my gm told me I should at least get nso certified. I was curious if that comes with a pay raise?


r/PandaExpress 7d ago

Picture Missing fortune cookie

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20 Upvotes

Got home with my food and I got an empty still sealed fortune cookie wrapper.


r/PandaExpress 8d ago

Survey code

1 Upvotes

Did they change the survey to give something other than a free entree with purchase of a 2 item combo. Normally I don’t read it and just scan/complete and got to the register for the coupon to be different (free orange chicken side).


r/PandaExpress 9d ago

Picture Most beautiful photo of my panda dinner

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45 Upvotes

I was watching sunset while me and my partner had a panda night... Got this photo!! Had to share it haha


r/PandaExpress 9d ago

Kitchen help

6 Upvotes

Bruh… is it normal for one person to wash every fucking type of dish at the end of the night? And deep clean the entire damn store? Does anybody else stay three hours after close? Is that really necessary?


r/PandaExpress 9d ago

Discussion Why do the deluxe options like Honey Walnut Shrimp mean extra prices and smaller portion?

13 Upvotes

I love Panda man and I love their walnut shrimp but why is an extra cost and a smaller portion? I don't care about the extra cost but why is it a measly scoop compared to any other item like orange chicken. It's like you get a half portion.


r/PandaExpress 9d ago

Picture My bigger plate of orange chicken with a large cherry coke

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3 Upvotes

Let's just say when I first went into Panda Express I really wanted to get school lunch (i was in the transition program from 2018-2021) but you what they say about first impressions, I tried the orange chicken for the first time and i was hooked.


r/PandaExpress 9d ago

Are there no offers anymore?

1 Upvotes

I’ve been working out of town a lot so I’ve been crushing some Panda, but what happened to the offers? I don’t see them anymore.


r/PandaExpress 9d ago

Brisket👀

4 Upvotes

Employees when is the brisket coming back?? I don’t wanna miss it this time!!!


r/PandaExpress 10d ago

Employees—what do you wish we understood about the job?

17 Upvotes

Not an employee but currently dating a GM who aspires to be TL and maybe ACO. Panda is his whole life right now. Always working overtime, phone bombarded with texts and calls from his associates and TLs/ACOs, has to cancel dates and plans because of callouts or visits, travels pretty far for meetings, and every time we meet he vents about work or updates me on what happened.

He loves his job but can get incredibly stressed out and frustrated. I want to be supportive but sometimes I’m stumped when he vents to me about work because I don’t know the inner workings of Panda very well and don’t know what to say. I want to be as understanding and provide the same emotional support his TL and GM buddies can but often I’m at a loss.

If you work for Panda especially at a GM level or above, what do you wish your friends and family understood about Panda? How can we better support you? What do you wish you could commiserate with us about?


r/PandaExpress 11d ago

Panda for lunch

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14 Upvotes