Show Notes

From the Counter to the C-Suite: How Jeff Wang’s Journey Embodies Panda’s Culture of Growth

Caption: Wang speaking onstage at the 2025 Panda Leaders Conference. 

• Jeff Wang’s journey, from part-time counter help to COO, reflects Panda’s commitment to growing leaders from within.
• Early mentorship from Andrew Cherng shaped his attention to detail and leadership mindset.
• Panda is a “School for Life,” focused on developing both skills and character.

SOUTH PASADENA, CA - Panda Express 194 holds a special place in Panda history, and an even deeper one for Chief Operating Officer Jeff Wang. It’s the location where he first encountered Panda as a teenager and where his journey from part-time counter help to senior leadership began. 

“I thought this was just going to be my part-time job,” Wang said. “But along the way, I started looking into what the future might look like if I continued this journey.” 

That journey was shaped by mentorship, perseverance, and Panda’s belief in developing people from within. One of Wang’s earliest defining lessons came from Co-Founder and Co-CEO Andrew Cherng while he was visiting Wang’s store. Cherng asked him how he cleaned a highchair. After hearing Wang’s answer, Cherng showed him how to clean the small creases and intersections with a toothpick.

“I was fascinated by how detailed Andrew was,” Wang recalled. “It taught me that the way you do anything is the way you do everything.”

Caption: Wang (second from left) during a store visit with Co-Founder Andrew Cherng (third from right). 

An Early Eye for People

Stanley Liu, Panda’s longtime Vice President of Operations Services, says Wang’s talent for developing people appeared early on. He often spotted promising associates the moment they joined.

“He would see someone new at the counter and say, ‘I’m going to promote this person soon,’” Liu remembered. “He worked with them, tested them, and helped them grow.”

This intuitive ability to recognize potential became a hallmark of his leadership style.

Learning to Lead by Letting Go

Wang’s path wasn’t without challenges. As a new general manager, he struggled to balance building the top line with achieving the bottom line.

“I was trying to do everything myself without learning how to ask for help,” he says.

His breakthrough came when he began empowering his team, enrolling hourly associates in solving problems and contributing to the store’s success. That mindset proved pivotal when he later took on the Santa Barbara market, a location historically difficult to stabilize due to the long commutes required of team members.

Wang chose to invest in his people, increasing wages and focusing on stability and development.

“People before him had never gotten Santa Barbara to run well,” Liu said. “Because of his willingness to invest in people, the store finally turned around.”

Caption: Jeff (center) receives his 15-year milestone gift from Co-Founder Peggy Cherng (second from left), Andrew Cherng (second from right), and fellow Panda leaders.

Panda as a School for Life

For Wang, Panda has always been more than a place to work.

“Panda is a School for Life,” he said. “Coming here is not only about restaurant operations, it’s learning how to become a better human being, a better version of yourself.”

He credits his growth to embracing curiosity. “It requires me to have a lot of fun and to have an open mind,” he said. “That is essential to becoming successful here at Panda.”

A Story of Possibility

Associates like Harleigh Mead say Wang’s journey shows what’s possible with the right support system.

“Through hard work, perseverance, dedication, and having good support, anything is possible,” she said. “When I hear Jeff’s story, the possibilities are endless.”

Today, Wang leads tens of thousands of associates across the country, but he still draws inspiration from the store where it all began.

“Panda is a company for growth,” he says. “When you join Panda, you’re in the right place to become the best version of yourself.”

Caption: Wang trains alongside the Operational Leadership Team.