Second freestanding Panda Express opens tomorrow

The second free-standing location of American-Chinese restaurant chain Panda Express is slated to open tomorrow in south Springfield.

The 2,200-square-foot eatery at 1905 E. Independence Road, in the Kohl’s department store parking lot, joins the Panda Express that opened Dec. 27 at 720 N. Glenstone Ave, a former Krispy Kreme site.

During the second day of its grand opening, Feb. 8, the south Springfield Panda Express will collect canned goods for Crosslines Food Pantry in Springfield, according to a news release.

According to building permits, the Independence restaurant carried an estimated construction cost of $225,500, and the remodeling job at the Glenstone location was estimated at $78,800.

Panda Express also operates a third Springfield location on the Missouri State University campus.

Panda Express, a division of Rosemead, Calif.-based Panda Restaurant Group Inc., operates some 1,600 restaurants in 46 states, Puerto Rico and Mexico, according to PandaRG.com. Panda Restaurant Group posted revenue of $1.7 billion in 2012 and employed more than 20,000 workers companywide, according to its website.