The builder of a new Panda Express restaurant in Bend has scheduled a groundbreaking for 11 a.m. Thursday at the site, 63447 N. U.S. Highway 97 near Target. It is expected to open around mid-December.

The restaurant, the second Panda Express to be built in the region, will be about 2,450 square feet and have a drive-thru, according to city of Bend planning documents. A Panda Express opened in Redmond in 2009. The company, based in Rosemead, Calif., owns and operates 1,375 restaurants in 41 states and Puerto Rico, according to its website.

Double R Development of Bend has been selected as the general contractor, said Alan Rombach, owner. The company expects to employ 16 to 18 subcontractors, he said.