Panda Express: Good cheap eats in Vegas, and matching donations for Philippine relief efforts

Rule number one of eating in Vegas on the cheap: the hotel restaurants are expensive. Unless you’re at a conference that’s providing breakfast and lunch, it’s better by far to get some fresh air and exercise and hit one of the restaurants outside.

One of my go-to stops has been Panda Express, which has a couple of branches along Las Vegas Boulevard, including one across the street from Mandalay Bay, where I’m staying. If you replace the rice or noodles with mixed veggies and pick the “Wok Smart” items, you can get a pretty healthy high-protein, lower-carb meal and a bottomless small drink for just over 9 bucks, which in this town is a steal.

Better still, Panda Express are taking donations at their cash register for relief efforts for Super Typhoon Haiyan / Yolanda, and will match people’s donations dollar-for-dollar.

Here’s the meat of their press release:

ROSEMEAD, Calif. – Panda Restaurant Group Inc. (PRG), parent company of Panda Express, America’s favorite Chinese restaurant, today announced it will collect donations in each of its 1,650 Panda Express, Panda Inn and Hibachi-San locations to assist victims of Typhoon Haiyan, which recently devastated the Philippines.

Panda also will match 100 percent of in-store and corporate donations collected between Wednesday, November 13 and Wednesday, December 4. The funds will be distributed to the American Red Cross and the Tzu Chi Foundation, an international non-profit humanitarian organization, to support their direct efforts to help victims of the typhoon.

“The tragedy of Typhoon Haiyan has left us heavyhearted,” said Peggy Cheng, co-chairman of PRG. “The Panda family is standing with our guests and corporate partners to do what we can to help our global community when unimaginable disasters occur. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims and their families.”

Thanks, Panda Express! You’ll have my continued business.