Leeann Chin (restaurateur) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leeann Chin
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| Born | February 13, 1933 |
| Died | March 10, 2010 (aged 77) |
| Known for | Leeann Chin restaurant chain |
| Children | 5 |
Leeann Chin (born February 13, 1933 – died March 10, 2010) was an amazing Chinese-American restaurateur and businesswoman. She started her own restaurant chain, named Leeann Chin, in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota in 1980.
Early Life and Moving to America
Leeann Chin was born in Guangzhou, China, on February 13, 1933. Her father owned a grocery store. Leeann helped out a lot at his store. She worked as a cashier, cleaned, stocked shelves, and even delivered groceries by bicycle.
When she was a teenager, Leeann married her husband, Tony. They lived in Hong Kong for a few years. In 1956, Leeann and Tony moved to the United States and made their home in Minnesota. Leeann first worked as a seamstress in different clothing stores in Minneapolis. She took classes to learn how to fix clothes and even make wedding dresses.
From Seamstress to Chef
While raising her five children, Leeann started selling clothes from her home in South Minneapolis. This is where her love for food and restaurants began. To thank her customers, Leeann would cook free meals and host dinner parties for them.
Soon, her customers loved her cooking so much that they asked her to teach cooking classes. They also wanted her to cook for their special events. This showed Leeann that she had a real talent for food!
Building a Restaurant Empire
In 1980, Leeann Chin opened her very first restaurant. It was named after her, Leeann Chin, and was located in the Bonaventure Mall in Minnetonka, Minnesota. This restaurant was one of the first places in the Twin Cities to offer delicious Cantonese and Szechuan cuisine.
At first, the restaurant had over 100 different dishes on its menu. Most of these recipes were created by Leeann herself. The first restaurant had a nice dining room where people could sit and eat. The menus even had beautiful calligraphy. The restaurant was an instant hit! Some dishes, which took days to prepare, sold out very quickly. To keep up with all the customers, Leeann soon changed it into an 80-seat buffet-style restaurant.
Leeann opened her second restaurant in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1984. That same year, a third Leeann Chin restaurant opened in Minneapolis. Another location in downtown Minneapolis also opened in 1984. This busy restaurant served more than 1,000 customers on an average business day.
In 1985, Leeann sold the rights to her name and restaurants to a big company called General Mills. But she got her business back in 1988. By the late 1990s, the Leeann Chin chain had become a popular Chinese fast food place. Smaller take-out spots were even set up inside Byerly's grocery stores. Leeann retired in 1999. By 2010, the Leeann Chin chain had over 40 locations, mostly around the Minneapolis – Saint Paul area.
Beyond Restaurants
Even after retiring from the restaurant business, Leeann Chin continued to teach cooking. She even had her own cooking show on PBS! She also wrote three cookbooks about Chinese cuisine. Later in her life, Leeann moved to the state of Washington and lived on Bainbridge Island.
Leeann Chin passed away on March 10, 2010, in Seattle, Washington. She was 77 years old and died from liver cancer. She left behind her five children—Linda, Bill, Laura, Jean, and Katie—and 11 grandchildren. Her husband, Tony, had passed away earlier in 1994.
