Chef Lee’s, the most prominent Chinese restaurant in Columbus, has been sold
The most prominent Chinese restaurant in Columbus has been sold.
Although the manager on duty Wednesday at Chef Lee’s Peking Restaurant, 6100 Bradley Park Drive, declined to answer the Ledger-Enquirer’s questions, he confirmed the sale.
The manager said he would pass along the L-E’s request for comment to the unidentified new owner and the restaurant’s previous owner, Joe Lee, but neither replied before publication. So it’s unclear whether the deal involves only the restaurant or the property as well. It’s also unclear what the sale means for customers and staff.
Business data company Dun & Bradstreet lists Joe Lee as the restaurant’s most recent owner, doing business as Chef Lee’s Inc., Fue Moung Lee as president, Chuen Mei Lee as chief financial officer and Christopher Paulson as chief customer service officer, with annual sales of $745,487.
In 2008, Chef Lee’s was named an “International Famous Restaurant of Chinese Cuisine” in Beijing. The honor was bestowed upon the company at the World Championship of Chinese Cuisine, which is known as the “Olympics” of Chinese cooking.
In 2009, Chef Lee’s was rated among the “Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in USA” by Chinese Restaurant News.
Ledger-Enquirer readers have listed Chef Lee’s among their favorite Chinese restaurants for years in the annual Reader’s Choice Awards.
Chef Lee’s is ranked No. 1 among Chinese restaurants in Columbus on TripAdvisor and No. 5 on Yelp.
The 2021 total value of the Chef Lee’s property on Bradley Park Drive was estimated at $1,411,290, according to the parcel’s record on the Muscogee County Board of Tax Assessors website. That includes $656,530 for the land value of 3.14 acres and $754,760 for the building’s value. The property owners listed are Fue Moung Lee and Chuen Mei Lee.
Chuen Mei Lee, Fue Moung Lee, Mary Lee and David Lee are listed as shareholders of the corporation, Chef Lee’s Inc., owning the business license as of 2021 at that property, according to the city’s revenue division.
According to the restaurant’s website, Joe Lee studied traditional Chinese cuisine in San Francisco. In 1984, he opened Chef Lee’s Peking Restaurant at 4248 Buena Vista Road in Columbus.
Lee expanded his Columbus footprint in 1998, when he opened the 300-seat Chef Lee’s Peking II on Bradley Park Drive. The L-E reported then that the new restaurant cost about $2 million to construct. It drew national attention, including from USA Today, for its intricate design and ornate decorations, such as a colorful pagoda, waterfall, garden and glass-covered walkway in the foyer with fish swimming underneath.
In 2006, the L-E reported Lee invested $1.3 million to rebuild the Buena Vista Road location and add a 10,000-square-foot shopping center with space for five additional tenants. The project downsized the 180-seat restaurant to 120 seats.
Lee closed his Buena Vista Road restaurant about eight years ago. It now contains the Shangri La Chinese Gourmet Restaurant, but the Muscogee County property record for that parcel, as of 2021, still lists the Joe and Mei Lee Family LLLP as the owner. Quin Jain Zheng is the lone shareholder of the corporation, Shangri La Chinese Gourmet LLC, owning the business license at the property since 2013, according to city’s revenue division.
This story was originally published May 5, 2022 at 6:50 AM.
