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Renovation of Panda Express, the most popular restaurant on campus when it closed, has been delay

During lunchtime in Ackerman Union, students pass an obviously outdated sign in front of the Panda Express construction site which reads, “Visit our newly remodeled store September 2004.”

The opening of the restaurant following its remodeling was scheduled for the beginning of this quarter, but it has been delayed due to problems complying with updated construction codes.

“In the old buildings a lot of the areas don’t necessarily get brought up to code,” said Jerry Mann, director of student union and student support services, explaining the unexpected delays.

Associated Students of UCLA officials met with Panda Express management, the fire marshal and the contractors to inspect the site on Friday. Mann said the exhaust hoods for the restaurant, which take cooking by-products out of the building, needed to be up to today’s construction codes.

“Right now the goal is to build a model of a hood system to test this week,” Mann said. “Once they pass that, then it’s a matter of how fast they can finish the construction.”

Mann said that Panda Express should be open in a few weeks if the hood test model passes the inspection.

Panda Express is using an independent contractor rather than contracting with UCLA Facilities or Capital Programs, and the food chain is paying for the remodeling on its own.

This is the first time that the restaurant, located on the first floor of Ackerman Union, is going through reconstruction since it appeared on the UCLA campus in 1993.

Just like other third-party food chains on campus, such as LaCucina by Sbarro or Rubio’s Baja Grill, Panda Express pays rent to ASUCLA which consists of a set minimum rate as well as a percentage of their sales. The exact rent and whether Panda Express pays the rent during the construction process cannot be disclosed since a contract is involved, said Richard Delia, finance director of ASUCLA.

UCLA’s Panda Express was the first university location for the food chain.

Since it opened at UCLA, Panda Express has been the most popular eatery on campus based on sales.

In the remodeled Panda Express, customers will be able to see part of the cooking process.

“One of the new big issues is display cooking, seeing the chef actually preparing the food,” Mann said. “The new configuration will enable them to work the lines faster,” he added.

While some students can be overheard complaining about the delay in construction, others express a different opinion.

“I miss Panda Express but I don’t like their prices,” said Kehsa Batista, a fourth-year student. “It’s too expensive, and they give you small portions.”

Others note that the construction does not affect them at all.

“I have eaten there only three times, because it costs money,” said Kevin Yen, a second-year student, adding that living on campus allows him to eat in the dining halls for free.