Seratti Group

The Challenge

Panda Express, America's fastest-growing quick-service Chinese restaurant chain, wanted to explore customer perceptions about the overall dining experience as well as to elicit specific responses to and suggestions for improvements to the menu, customer service and restaurant facilities. The Seratti Group was retained to develop a comprehensive research plan that would uncover customer attitudes about all aspects of their interactions with the restaurant chain.

The Strategy

In order to both benchmark the current Panda Express dining experience, as well as discover ideas for improvement, the Seratti Group recommended qualitative research in the form of X focus groups. A total of XX participants participated in focus groups conducted over X days in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dr. Karen Seratti of the Seratti Group moderated all focus groups.

The Results

The findings pointed to a central issue Panda Express needed to resolve: on which side of the fast food/fine dining continuum do they wish to sit? Currently, Panda Express customers view the chain as a step above fast food; however, certain attributes of the dining experience seem to indicate that Panda Express is not as committed to an upper level casual dining experience as its customers might desire. Improvements in food presentation and restaurant ambiance could help enhance the perception of the chain.

The Seratti Group synthesized the research findings, and presented a comprehensive set of recommendations ranging from changes in the overall restaurant aesthetic, to usability issues with the food service line and suggestions for extending menu offerings.



Financial Technology Consumer Partners Starbucks Hasbro Leapfrog Panda Express	The Challenge Panda Express, America's fastest-growing quick-service Chinese restaurant chain, wanted to explore customer perceptions about the overall dining experience as well as to elicit specific responses to and suggestions for improvements to the menu, customer service and restaurant facilities. The Seratti Group was retained to develop a comprehensive research plan that would uncover customer attitudes about all aspects of their interactions with the restaurant chain. The Strategy In order to both benchmark the current Panda Express dining experience, as well as discover ideas for improvement, the Seratti Group recommended qualitative research in the form of X focus groups. A total of XX participants participated in focus groups conducted over X days in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dr. Karen Seratti of the Seratti Group moderated all focus groups. The Results The findings pointed to a central issue Panda Express needed to resolve: on which side of the fast food/fine dining continuum do they wish to sit? Currently, Panda Express customers view the chain as a step above fast food; however, certain attributes of the dining experience seem to indicate that Panda Express is not as committed to an upper level casual dining experience as its customers might desire. Improvements in food presentation and restaurant ambiance could help enhance the perception of the chain. The Seratti Group synthesized the research findings, and presented a comprehensive set of recommendations ranging from changes in the overall restaurant aesthetic, to usability issues with the food service line and suggestions for extending menu offerings.