“No best—only better.”
For more than half a century, this belief has guided Panda Restaurant Group. At the MHG Charitable Foundation scholarship ceremony, it became a message of hope for 100 students searching for their future.
Panda Restaurant Group co-founder Andrew Cherng stepped into the audience as a “life mentor,” answering candid questions about poverty, purpose, risk, success, and giving back.
For more than two hours, the 78-year-old entrepreneur spoke not as a business icon, but as an elder passing 53 years of hard-earned wisdom to the next generation.
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One Old Bike, a Lifetime in Motion
Asked what he lacked most as a child—and values most today—Andrew Cherng smiled and replied, “Everything.”
He then recalled an old bicycle. When he was young, a cousin moving from Taipei to Japan could not take the bike along and gave it to him.
Cherng rode for hours, returning home exhausted but overjoyed.
The bicycle represented freedom, independence, and the power to move forward.
It also planted a lifelong belief: Opportunity may occasionally arrive as a gift, but most of the time, you must plan, prepare, and go after the future you want.
After coming to America, Cherng began working in a New York restaurant as a busboy before training as a server.
The demanding job taught him service, discipline, speed, communication, and how to perform under pressure.
When students asked how to keep financial anxiety from limiting their dreams, his advice remained practical: Find a part-time job, learn the value of money, organize your life, and take on greater responsibility.
A scholarship can give someone a lift, but no one can wait forever for others to begin life on their behalf.
An Unexpected Path, Excellence in Every Detail
In 1973, Cherng and his father opened their first Chinese restaurant, Panda Inn, in Los Angeles.
He admitted that he had never planned on entering the restaurant business and knew little about fast-casual dining.
Only after Panda was invited into a shopping mall did he step into unfamiliar territory.
Learning along the way, he helped transform a traditional full-service restaurant concept into the rapidly growing Panda Express model.
While building the first Panda Express, Cherng even served as his own general contractor.
Although accustomed to staying up late and sleeping in, he changed his routine so he could meet construction crews at 7 a.m. and supervise the project each day.
His lesson was simple: When a goal matters enough, habits can change. When the direction is worth pursuing, “I can’t” is not a place to remain.
He also used examples ranging from restaurant cleanliness to a $600,000 painting contract to explain why small things matter.
Problems should be noticed before customers or executives see them.
And three bids do not automatically make a price reasonable; leaders must question the scope, understand the work, and know the true value of what they are buying.
“Success means doing the right things right.”
True excellence rarely comes from one dramatic breakthrough. It is built by noticing countless details—and getting them right, again and again.
A Father’s Calm, a Mother’s Kindness
When Cherng spoke about his parents, his voice softened.
His father had little formal education, yet Cherng considered him an exceptional leader.
In a hectic restaurant kitchen, even when someone made a mistake, his father never shouted. He would simply say, “Let’s do it again.”
Those few words calmed the room.
They taught Cherng that leadership is not about increasing pressure, but creating stability within it.
It is not about rushing to assign blame, but helping people recover and do the work better.
His mother possessed an unusually generous heart. As the family business grew, she helped hundreds of families immigrate to the United States and pursue better lives.
From his father came composure and respect. From his mother came compassion and a responsibility to help others. Together, those values became part of the cultural foundation of Panda Restaurant Group.
Panda’s Real Business: Human Potential
Cherng told the audience that Panda has approximately 2,600 restaurants and 60,000 associates, with most locations operated directly by the company.
Yet to him, those numbers are not the organization’s greatest achievement.
“Every organization is ultimately a people business.”
Products and systems matter, but people bring them to life.
A leader’s responsibility is not simply to demand performance, but to train, trust, and support people—and help them recognize potential they may not yet see in themselves.
Some young associates join Panda simply because they need a job. Over time, they learn scheduling, recruiting, training, management, communication, and team leadership.
Their income, family circumstances, and confidence begin to change.
In Panda’s early years, Cherng allowed restaurant managers and chefs to share in profits.
When people share in success, he explained, responsibility and motivation no longer have to be forced.
Trust, however, must be built on credibility. His rule is straightforward: Do what you say, and say honestly what you are doing.
Do not exaggerate. Do not make careless promises. Once you commit, show up and follow through.
When circumstances prevent you from delivering, communicate openly.
These simple practices form the foundation of every lasting relationship.
Honor Your Blessings by Giving Back
Asked how he remains humble as his achievements grow, Cherng pointed to the many unpredictable turns in his life.
Had he stayed in Japan, remained in New York, never moved to California, or continued operating only traditional restaurants, Panda might never have become what it is today.
For Cherng, gratitude cannot remain a feeling. It must become action.
He describes philanthropy as “honoring your blessings by giving back.”
Panda grew because customers and communities supported it; therefore, the company has a responsibility to return resources to those communities.
Panda Cares began by inviting customers to make small donations at restaurant counters.
Before the pandemic, annual giving reportedly reached approximately $50 million. Panda Restaurant Group covered the foundation’s operating expenses, allowing customer donations to support community programs.
The experience reinforced Cherng’s belief that when a purpose is clear, even the smallest acts of generosity can combine into a force powerful enough to change lives.
He reminded students that they do not need to become wealthy before helping others. Time, effort, service, relationships, encouragement, and the willingness to go one step further are all resources they can give today.
A person’s purpose also grows over time. At first, one may work simply to survive.
Later, the goal may become providing stability for a family, then supporting employees, strengthening communities, and investing in the next generation.
The greater the purpose, the greater the action and perseverance required. In that process, life moves from “What can I gain?” to “What can I leave for others?”
Stop Waiting—Start Building the Future
For students standing at life’s crossroads, Cherng returned repeatedly to one message: Take action.
He did not deny that risk is frightening, nor did he claim that every decision will be right. But endless delay is not a strategy.
First, take care of yourself. Build your abilities. Organize your life. Clarify your purpose. Then make a decision.
When circumstances change, adjust your direction. When a method falls short, find a better one.
Asked whether students should choose a safe, stable path or one that feels genuinely meaningful, Cherng urged them not to let fear disguise itself as caution.
Trust the direction that is worth pursuing and offers greater room to grow. Say clearly what you want—and step actively into your own life.
Finally, a student asked what message he would place inside a fortune cookie for every young person in the room.
Cherng answered: “IBL—Inspire a Better Life. And it starts with you.”
In that moment, the conversation returned to where it began: No best—only better.
Better does not mean defeating someone else. It means becoming more capable, more responsible, and more willing to help others than you were yesterday.
The future does not begin while you sit and wait to be noticed. It begins when you take the next step.
Cherng left the 100 students with one final question:
“What is something you have been thinking about for a long time but have not yet started—and what action will you take now?”
When the ceremony ended, the students carried away more than scholarship checks and 12 memorable quotes. They carried the lesson of a 53-year entrepreneurial journey:
When you are willing to change yourself and courageously take the first step, an uncertain future begins to find direction—and light.
What mattered most to Cherng was never whether the students remembered his words. It was whether they would leave the room and begin to act.
Full Record of Andrew Cherng's Q&A with Students
