A ndrew Cherng, along with his wife Peggy Cherng, is the co-founder and co-CEO of Panda Restaurant Group, the parent company of the ubiquitous American-Chinese fast-food chain, Panda Express. Born in Yangzhou, China, and raised in Taiwan and Japan, Andrew immigrated to the United States to study mathematics. In 1973, he and his father, a master chef, opened their first full-service restaurant, Panda Inn, in Pasadena, California.

The major breakthrough came in 1983 when, at the suggestion of a local developer, Andrew and Peggy opened the first fast-food version of their restaurant, Panda Express, in a shopping mall. The concept took off, and they expanded rapidly across the country and later, internationally. The couple built their privately held empire with a focus on consistent quality, operational efficiency, and a strong corporate culture based on employee development. Today, Panda Express is the largest Asian-segment restaurant chain in the United States, and the Cherngs are among the wealthiest self-made couples in the country.