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 private equity firm Pacific General has held majority control since March 2025. A former employee's suit alleging unpaid overtime settled with court approval in May 2021, and the company publishes nothing about what it pays. Chu still sets the day to day; the direction now answers to investors, starting with franchising 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.
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Company data last updated September 2026
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