Help Wanted Ad Triggers Rumors and Curiosity
by Dennis Rahm
Fact or Fiction? Maybe yes. Maybe no. Here’s what we know about the rumors of Panda Express opening a location in Chelan.
As has been widely discussed on social media, there was a help wanted ad posted on the Wenatchee Craigslist site on Friday, November 29 that is still active. It indicates a new location will open in Chelan in February of 2020. LakeChelanNow reached out to the City of Chelan to see if any business license filings had been made, or if there was any awareness of interest by Panda Express.
At this time, the answer to both questions is no. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that a location isn’t in the works.
City of Chelan Associate Planner Joey Meisenheimer says it’s not uncommon for a business to run employment ads in order to check out the available job force market prior to making a final decision on where to open a business.
Taking that into account, it appears the job posting is legitimate and time will tell whether or not the business plan in Chelan is viable.
Panda Express is a fast food restaurant chain serving American Chinese cuisine at more than 2200 locations in the United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
There are 57 Panda Express locations in Washington State with the closest to Chelan located in Wenatchee.
