Airmen and families at Ramstein Air Base can enjoy a taste of home at the first Panda Express to open in Europe, located in the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center Exchange food court.
Nataki Jones, wife of Brig. Gen. Otis C. Jones, 86th Airlift Wing commander, along with her 9-year-old son Hamilton, joined Jennifer Jordan, General Manager of the KMCC Exchange, in cutting the ribbon on the restaurant at its Aug. 2 grand opening.
The Jones family recently moved to Germany when Brig. Gen. Otis C. Jones took up the mantle of leadership as the commander of 86th Airlift Wing on July 15.
“Being in Germany is a phenomenal experience for our family,” Jones said. “But the anticipation of Panda Express opening really got my children excited. It was a restaurant that we enjoyed frequently in the States, so to have it here is wonderful—it’s a taste of home.”
The line for the grand opening wrapped around the entire food court as military and families waited for their Panda Express fix. Alyssa Young and her 9-year-old son Brantley drove more than 75 miles in order to be the first in line for the grand opening.
“Panda Express is his absolute favorite,” Young laughed about her son’s enthusiasm for the restaurant and its orange chicken. “His jaw hit the floor when he found out the restaurant was opening—saying that his wish had come true.”
Jochen Halfmann, CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail Germany, said his team worked hard with the Exchange to bring the first Panda Express to the military community in Europe.
“It’s been an amazing journey to partner together with AAFES,” Halfmann said. “We are very excited to be bringing a taste of home to military and families here who are so far from home.”
All of the Exchange’s 1,600-plus restaurants, including the more than 50 added in 2021, offer better-for-you choices to support Warfighters’ readiness and resiliency.
“Our military and families have another great option for their dining-out experience,” said Col. Don Nowlin, Exchange’s Europe/Southwest Asia/Africa region commander. “It’s fantastic to see the excitement on our customers’ faces when we can bring them a little piece of home.”
Dining with the Exchange benefits Warfighters and military families, as 100% of Exchange earnings support the community. In the last 10 years, the Exchange has provided $3.5 billion in earnings for critical military Quality-of-Life programs.
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