All About Business | First Panda Express drive-thru restaurant planned for Bradenton
A Panda Express drive-thru restaurant is planned for an out parcel of the Publix Shopping Center at Braden River, 14525 State Road 70, according to paperwork filed recently with Manatee County government.
The Publix super market, located at the intersection of S.R. 70 and Lorraine Road, in Lakewood Ranch, is one of the newest in Manatee County.
Founders Andrew and Peggy Cherng opened the first Panda Express restaurant in Glendale, California, in 1983. The company which has grown to have about 2,000 restaurants nationwide, would be a new arrival in the Bradenton market. The company is known for its signature Orange Chicken dish, introduced in 1987.
The closest Panda Express restaurants to Bradenton are located in Venice, Pinellas Park and Riverview, according to the company’s website.
In 2011, the company went international by opening a restaurant in Mexico City, Mexico. Since then, Panda Express has expanded to Guam, Puerto Rico, Canada, South Korea and Dubai.
In other business news:
▪ The Yoga Barre at Lakewood Ranch invites the public to attend its grand opening celebration with events and free classes planned for Friday through Sunday, Oct. 1-3.
“After a very interesting few months, facing the unique opportunities of building and opening a business amid a global pandemic, we are excited to invite our community to attend our official grand opening weekend for The Yoga Barre at Lakewood Ranch,” said Janette Brown, owner and instructor at The Yoga Barre.
“If the past few years have taught us anything, it is the importance of physical and mental health, and we are proud to offer a welcoming studio with a variety of classes taught by an incredible and knowledgeable group of instructors. We believe our community will greatly benefit from The Yoga Barre, and we cannot wait to celebrate our grand opening with you,” she said.
The Yoga Barre, located at 4124 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., is a full-service yoga studio with a variety of instructors and classes, including aerial yoga, kids yoga, Vinyasa flow, power yoga, restorative yoga, Buti yoga, and more.
The mission of The Yoga Barre is to provide a space where people can rest their minds, energize their souls, move their bodies and explore their inner selves through yoga.
For more information on the upcoming event, the grand opening raffle, classes offered and the current calendar of events, visit https://lwryogabarre.com/ or call 941-867-0812 or janette@lwryogabarre.com.
▪ The Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp. will have its annual update luncheon 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at Manatee Technical College, 6305 State Road 70 E.
The program will feature insights from Fiona Crawford, president and CEO of Roskamp Institute, Anish Patel, president of Radiant Power Corp. & Dukane-Seacom Inc., and Tim Pernetti, chief operating officer of IMG Performance.
The program will also honor Rae Dowling, former area manager for external affairs, FPL.
For reservations and sponsorship information, contact Cindy Unzicker at cindyu@bradentonareaedc.com or call 941-803-9034.
This is an occasional column of The Bradenton Herald. If you have a business item, please send it to jajones1@bradenton.com
This story was originally published September 30, 2021 at 2:27 PM.
