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Leeann Chin history
Leeann Chin company history timeline
Guided by her understanding of local tastes, and a desire to share her recipes with others, Leeann opened her first restaurant in Minneapolis in 1980.
Leeann Chin, founded in 1980, has struggled to grow outside the Twin Cities, despite its success here.
A second restaurant opened in downtown St Paul in March 1984.
Chin signed on to create her first takeout store in June 1984.
So, in 1984, she sold her name and restaurants to General Mills.
Each year since 1985, Leeann Chin has been voted the "Best Chinese Food" and the "Best Takeout Food" in Minneapolis.
The billion-dollar food company bought her name and the three units in 1985.
The selling price was not disclosed, but the company's fiscal 1985 revenues had been $5 million.
Company sales for 1987 had been just over $14 million.
A bank loan and funds from Dimension Capital in Bloomington, Minnesota, financed the deal which was completed in March 1988.
Leeann Chin recorded only slightly weaker sales volume while the restaurant industry as a whole dropped eight percent in 1991.
Ron Fuller was named president of Leeann Chin, Inc. in January 1993.
In early 1994, the $25 million business employed 750 people, operated 20 carryout units, three restaurants, and a catering center.
The company had entered the Seattle market in 1994.
Leeann Chin herself took a leave of absence from her half-time position with the company, beginning in January 1996.
Stephen A. Finn came aboard as CEO in June 1997.
Leeann Chin, Inc., which had raised $9 million in venture capital in July 1998, had been expected to go public, but market conditions changed all that.
Three Leeann Chin units opened in the Kansas City, Missouri, in early 1999, and the first Detroit-area location opened in late April.
The initial wave of the expansion drive was off to a good start, ahead of schedule in terms of number of units in place and profitability, according to a May 1999 City Business article by Jennifer Franklin.
Accessed October 11, 2019. http://www.startribune.com/leeann-chin-woman-behind-a-chinese-food-empire-dies-at-77/87492122/?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O%3ADW3ckUiD3aPc%3A_Yyc%3AaUycaEacyUs
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Leeann Chin competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pizza Hut | 1958 | $7.5B | 350,000 | 10,778 |
| Noodles & Company | 1995 | $493.3M | 7,001 | 984 |
| Wendy's | 1969 | $2.2B | 12,500 | 2,338 |
| Sonic Drive-In | 1953 | $423.6M | 5,000 | 4,750 |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill | 1993 | $11.3B | 64,570 | 3,594 |
| Famous Dave's of America | 1994 | $95.2M | 101 | 152 |
| A&W Restaurants | 1919 | $99.4M | 35,160 | 27 |
| Big Boy® Restaurants | 1936 | $89.0M | 1,500 | 4 |
| Subway | 1965 | $16.1B | 5,000 | 737 |
| Panera Bread | 1981 | $2.8B | 140,000 | 3,435 |
Leeann Chin history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Leeann Chin, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Leeann Chin. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Leeann Chin. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Leeann Chin. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Leeann Chin and its employees or that of Zippia.
Leeann Chin may also be known as or be related to Chin Leeann Inc, Leeann Chin, Leeann Chin Inc, Leeann Chin Inc. and Leeann Chin, Inc.