A new Panda Express has opened in Sanger, Texas, bringing another dining option to the growing commercial corridor along Interstate 35. The restaurant welcomed its first customers on September 28, 2026, following months of construction near the Chapman Road interchange. Its location also puts it along a major route connecting the Dallas–Fort Worth area with destinations in Oklahoma, including WinStar World Casino.
The restaurant is part of a remarkable transformation that has reshaped this section of Sanger. For decades, the property remained agricultural land even as businesses developed around the nearby interchange. That changed with the arrival of Sanger Crossing, a major development anchored by a new Tom Thumb supermarket. The project introduced new roads, parking areas, and commercial sites across what had long been open fields.
Historical Google Earth and Street View images below reveal how the property evolved between 2005 and 2026. From hay bales scattered across farmland to the construction of a new restaurant, the images capture more than two decades of change along one of North Texas’s busy highway corridors.
March 2005
Nearly two decades before construction began, the future Panda Express property was part of a large agricultural field in Sanger, Texas. Round hay bales scattered across the land reveal how the property was being used. Interstate 35 already passed alongside the field, while several businesses occupied nearby properties along Chapman Road. Despite its highway frontage, this particular stretch remained undeveloped.
August 2013
Eight years later, the landscape still looked remarkably rural. Viewed from the interstate frontage road, rows of vegetation stretched across the property, with tall grasses growing along the roadside. Commercial buildings could be seen in the distance, but nothing occupied the future restaurant site. Motorists traveling through Sanger would have seen an open field rather than the busy commercial development that exists today.
June 2023
By June 2023, the future Panda Express location remained part of a broad green field. The surrounding interchange had supported commercial activity for decades, yet this substantial tract continued to stand apart from nearby development. That would soon change as plans advanced for Sanger Crossing, a mixed-use development bringing new retail businesses and residential construction to the area.
October 2025
The transformation was dramatic by October 2025. The former agricultural field had been replaced by a sprawling commercial development anchored by Tom Thumb. A large parking lot, internal access roads, and newly prepared commercial parcels were visible. The future Panda Express site had been cleared but did not yet contain the restaurant building. State records filed in August 2025 identified plans for a new 2,697-square-foot Panda Express at the location.
March 2026
By March 2026, the Panda Express building had taken shape, with its exterior walls standing and openings for windows and entrances clearly visible. Construction equipment, temporary fencing, and building materials surrounded the unfinished restaurant. The project was part of the continuing commercial expansion near the Chapman Road interchange.
Panda Express officially opened the Sanger restaurant on September 28, 2026. A grand-opening celebration included a ribbon cutting with the Sanger Area Chamber of Commerce and a $1,000 donation to Food for the Soul. Although the latest selected historical image shows construction still underway, the restaurant has since welcomed customers to a property that remained agricultural land for much of its documented history.
Last Updated on October 17, 2026 by F.E.M