PASADENA >> The first Panda Inn, opened in 1973 in Pasadena, is getting remodeled and expanded as part of a proposal to build 258 apartments on the property.
Though Pasadena’s planning department suggested the existing Panda Inn would need to be torn down, a manager at the restaurant said the company wants to retain its original restaurant.
“We’re still in the early stages of development, but we do plan to stay at this location,” said Manager Jason Chan. “We do not plan to demolish.”
The restaurant at 3488 E. Foothill Blvd. may close for two to three months during the construction, Chan said. There’s no current time frame for when the construction will begin, and the developer has only applied for preliminary approvals from the city.
“It’s going to be a pretty big project,” he added.
The company could still decide to demolish and rebuild Panda Inn, as a proposal presented to the Design Commission last week includes 8,140 square feet specifically for the restaurant.
Andrew Cherng and his father, Chef Ming-Tsai Cherng, opened the first Panda Inn in Pasadena in 1973. The Chinese restaurant is inspired by Mandarina and Sichuan cuisine, according to its website. A decade later, Andre Cherng opened the first Panda Express in Glendale, and later the Japanese grill Hibachi-San.
As of 2014, the Panda Restaurant Group, headquartered in Rosemead, had more than 1,750 locations.
Panda Inn is a more traditional dining experience compared to the fast casual Panda Express. It has five locations, all in Southern California.
Early plans for Panda Inn and a neighboring property called for 232 market rate apartments, 26-very low income apartments, a detached 8,140 one-story restaurant and 465 parking spaces, according to a Feb. 14 memo to the Design Commission from Planning Director David Reyes. The preliminary document states the existing 7,400 square foot restaurant would need to be demolished.
Panda Restaurant Group acquired the Gateway Metro Center, 3452 E. Foothill Boulevard, next door earlier this year for more than $40 million for mixed use development, according to CBRE, the brokerage firm.
Metro’s Sierra Madre Gold Line Station is roughly two blocks away.
The project is spread across four buildings, including two new six-story multi-family buildings. The Gateway Metro Center building will receive only exterior improvements on the first and second floors. The two new residential buildings are expected to total 239,168 square feet.
Parking for the project will be a mix of surface and subterranean parking, according to the preliminary documents. An additional 62,000 square feet is set aside for open space, including courtyards, a park and terraces.
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