Panda Express, the largest American Chinese fast-food restaurant chain, is coming to Hamden.

A space in Hamden Plaza will have a new occupant. The new Panda Express in Hamden, Connecticut, is projected to open by early 2027. The fast-casual Chinese restaurant chain recently signed a lease for roughly half of the 1,500-square-foot former Panera Bread space at 2100 Dixwell Avenue. While local officials anticipate an early-next-year opening, plaza management has not yet finalized an exact opening date.