Lenwich
Dining · 18+ locations · NYC, Seoul, Yongin
A Manhattan sandwich counter that still looks like a neighborhood institution, with founder Lenny Chu at the helm since 1989. But a private equity firm took majority control in March 2025, and the plan now is franchising and national expansion.
The Big Picture
Lenny Chu founded Lenwich in 1989 and still runs it as CEO, but since March 2025 the private equity firm Pacific General has held majority control. A lawsuit alleging unpaid overtime, brought by a former employee, settled with court approval in May 2021, and the company publishes nothing about what it pays. Chu still sets the day-to-day, though the direction of the business now answers to its investors, starting with a franchise program planned for 2026.
The Dirty Details
Ownership
Pacific GeneralPrivate Equity
Pacific General is a private equity firm founded in 2019 with offices in New York and Seoul, investing in consumer and industrial businesses. Its restaurant track record is short but fast: it scaled Playa Bowls before exiting in 2024, and it now holds two fast-casual brands Ferret tracks. The two deals are not the same shape, though. It bought a majority of Lenwich outright in March 2025, while at Naya it led the new capital into a continuation vehicle that TriSpan still sponsors and controls. Both founders stayed on as CEO.
See all Pacific General companies on FerretWhat do these scores mean? Learn more.
Make a New Choice
Company data last updated August 2026
How does one person build and research all this? They don't: here's how it actually works. Verdicts are our opinions, based on the public sources cited above as of August 2026. Spotted something off? or learn more.