Panda Express recently announced they would be bringing back their beloved $6 deal after every Dodgers home win.
The deal gets customers a $6 plate which includes one side and two entrees as long as they are a Panda rewards member and use the code DODGERSWIN.
The $6 price tag is a steal because the cost of the plate normally starts at $10.60.
“I started to exploit the deal a year and a half ago,” Joseph Kuo said, a sophomore majoring in human biology.
Kuo said he takes advantage of the deal about once or twice a week. He said he goes to the gym a lot, so he uses the deal for convenience.
“Sometimes I’ll get just like chicken, veggies and rice for dinner,” he said. “It’s only a 10 minute walk from my dorm.”
Kuo isn’t a Dodgers fan, but is slowly becoming one because of the deal. He is not the only one who has grown an affinity for the Dodgers.
Benjamin Papp, a senior journalism major, is from the Bay Area, so naturally, he is a San Francisco Giants fan.
Papp said did not know about the deal, but now that he does, he plans on paying more attention to his team rival, the Dodgers. Papp also said he hopes they win, as long as they don’t win in their shared division.
“They should do exceptionally well,” Papp said. “So it’s good to keep in the back of my head to check the scores so I can cash in.”
Not only is the deal a matter of convenience, but it might be a smart financial choice too.
According to an analysis by the California Legislative Analyst’s Office based on the most recent consumer price index data, food prices have grown about 20% overall since 2020.
Joslyn Kearn, a sophomore sociology major, said she is not a sports fan by any means, but she loves her chow mein and honey walnut shrimp.
“Every day — even when I don’t know if there’s a game because I don’t watch sports and I don’t know baseball — I search up, ‘Did the Dodgers win yesterday?’” Kearn said.
Kearn said she found out about the deal last semester, so she only used it for the last part of the season. Now that she knows about it, she said she’s ready to keep an eye on it.
“I’m always rooting for them to win so I can get the Panda,” she said.
Kearn does have some confusion about the deal because it’s different from last year.
“I was like why is it six dollars?,” she said. “You know, I was a little confused about why it was a dollar extra.”
Just a couple of months ago, the deal was $5, instead of $6. While Kearn believes the increase is a little annoying, she still plans to use it.
Food prices are projected to rise by 1.9% in 2025, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
“At the end of the day, it’s still worth it and cheaper than compiling actual groceries for that price,” Kearn said. “And I can usually make it into two meals.”
Matthew Suh, a freshmen journalism major, says he’s more inclined to buy a $6 meal as opposed to buying groceries.
“I would definitely gravitate towards getting a six dollar Panda plate [rather] than cooking my own meal,” Suh said.
“Every time I go out and get produce and go to the grocery store, I definitely am checking the receipt or I’m looking at the prices,” Suh said. “I’m noticing things like, wow, this is really gone up.”
Suh isn’t wrong– grocery prices in California have definitely surged.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, in the Los Angeles area, the food at home index increased 2.5%, with higher prices in four of the six grocery categories. Additionally, the food away from home index increased 4.8%.
Jason Bonilla, a sophomore biological sciences major, is of a similar mindset.
“Last week I went grocery shopping and I basically spent $90 for some essentials,” Bonilla said. “For a Panda plate where I don’t have to cook anything, it’s just easily accessible, you know, sometimes it’s more worth it than buying groceries.”
Like many other students, he goes to the Panda Express near USC’s campus on Figueroa and 29th.
“Honestly[I go] every time that I see the Dodgers win,” Bonilla said. “I ask my roommates and my friends to see if they want to get some and almost every time when we get some.”
If the Dodgers have 6 or more runs in a game, McDonald’s offers a free 6-piece Chicken McNuggets with a $2 purchase in the McDonald’s app, and if the Dodgers steal a base, AMPM offers free hotdogs and a 12oz Slim Coca-Cola.
Jack in the Box is giving out a free Jumbo Jack with every Dodgers win, upon purchase of a large Coca-Cola (with the code GODODGERS25).
These deals will be available through the end of the Dodgers’ regular season, ending on September 28.