Customers wait in line for Panda Express on grand-opening day at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Nov. 13, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — Around 100 soldiers and their families stood in line at this base on Wednesday for the grand opening of a Panda Express, the franchise’s second location on the peninsula.
A performer dressed as a panda greeted the queuing customers, who were directed by employees to gather outside of the Troop Mini Mall for a taste of the franchise’s Chinese-American food.
One devotee took his post in line at 10 p.m. Tuesday and small groups of people began forming behind him around 6 a.m., Panda Express senior international project manager Yan Wen told Stars and Stripes on Wednesday.
While standing in line, Spc. Gabriel Paniagua said he last ate at a Panda Express in Miami, his hometown, four years ago.
“I’m kind of excited to have it again,” said the 2nd Infantry Division automated logistical specialist. “We get to eat some good food; you have more choices now of what to eat.”
A second Panda Express is scheduled to open at Humphreys late next year. Another is expected to open in May at Osan Air Base, home of the 7th Air Force, about 10 miles north of Humphreys, Wen said.
Humphreys also opened two Qdobas, a Mexican-style eatery serving tacos and burritos, in September.
Panda Express employees serve customers on grand-opening day at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Nov. 13, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
Panda Express opened for business at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Nov. 13, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
Panda Express employees cheer on grand opening day at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Nov. 13, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
Panda Express’ opening is “about making Camp Humphreys feel more like home,” base spokesman Jeff Nagan said in a speech at the opening ceremony.
“By expanding food choices, we enhance the quality of life for our soldiers, civilians and their families,” he said. “It’s all about bringing that slice of home right here in Korea, where we serve and live.”
One goal of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service is to bring healthier food options to the military community in Humphreys, AAFES general manager George McNamara told Stars and Stripes in an interview Sept. 12.
Obesity rates among active-duty troops more than doubled from 2012 to 2022, according to an October 2023 report from the American Security Project, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit.
Panda Express’ offerings range from 90 to 520 calories, according to its menu. A plate of grilled teriyaki chicken, white steamed rice and broccoli beef is approximately 850 calories.
The restaurant at the Troop Mini Mall employs 55 people, many of them U.S. military spouses, Wen said.
The franchise has two locations on U.S. bases in Germany at Ramstein Air Base and Grafenwoehr, and one in Japan at Yokosuka Naval Base.
Wen said the restaurant’s proteins are sourced in Thailand, just like the locations in the United States, and the remaining ingredients are produced in South Korea.
Panda Express opened its first and only other store in South Korea at the International Finance Center Mall in Seoul in 2014. The chain has over 2,400 locations worldwide, including Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Canada and Mexico.
