Leeann Chin

Leeann Chin, Inc.

Company type	Wholly-owned subsidiary of Mandarin Holdings Group, LP Delaware.
Industry	Restaurants
Founded	1980
Headquarters	3600 American Blvd. West Bloomington, Minnesota, 55431
Area served	Minneapolis-Saint Paul
Key people	Mike Loney, COO and Lorne Goldberg, Owner
Revenue	$40M USD
Number of employees	1,000
Website	www.leeannchin.com

Leeann Chin (also styled Lee Ann Chin in promotional materials) is a Chinese-American fast food restaurant chain in Minnesota, operating twenty outlets. The menu is dedicated almost entirely to chicken entrees and fried appetizers, but does have a beef entree. A shrimp entree is available for an extra charge. While not particularly vegetarian friendly (it does offer a vegetarian dish), there is a great deal of variety in the sauces and vegetables used to prepare dishes in Mongolian, Hunan, and Szechuan styles. The food ranges from mild to spicy, and there are a variety of salads, bottled and fountain beverages, and frozen yogurt treats available for purchase.

Leeann Chin markets itself as an alternative both to traditional Chinese restaurants and fast food competitors, claiming a position of superior nutritional value in their food. While this is debatable, the atmosphere of the restaurants attempts to capture the emerging fast casual trend in the fast food industry, placing it in direct competition with Chipotle, Noodles and Company, Baja Sol, Culver's, Panera Bread, and other competitors.

Leeann Chin founder and namesake Leeann Chin died on March 10, 2010 in Seattle, WA. Chin, 77, died Wednesday in Seattle, Wash., after a long illness, a company spokeswoman confirmed.