Photo: Sina Weibo

 
The Asian food restaurant chain Panda Restaurant Group, headquartered in California, said the company has not opened a branch in Southwest China’s Yunan Province and warned any “copycat restaurant” to stop illegal activities or will face consequences.

A post on WeChat earlier in October showed photos of a restaurant in Yunnan that appears to be identical to the Panda Express. Some Chinese netizens had thought the US food chain had opened a franchise in China, which it has not.

The mistaken suggestion that Panda Restaurant Group had opened a restaurant in Yunnan brought inquiries to the chain’s headquarters, which responds that it had not opened a franchise in China, according to post released Monday by the China Cuisine Association (CCA) on its website.

CCA also attached a statement from the company’s cofounder Andrew Cherng who said unauthorized use of the Panda Express brand, including its patented dishes and products, is illegal. 

Panda Express has more than 2,200 locations and is the largest Asian food restaurant chain in the US, according to media reports. It mainly serves uniquely American-style Chinese food.