With a heavy heart, I am so very sad to report that the LEAF family has suddenly and shockingly lost Johnny Lin, a man who was like a brother to me and a father to our young staff members.  

I will be forever grateful to Johnny, my “brother-in-arms,” who has worked with me for the past 5 years to build LEAF into the thriving business that it is today.  

He spent his entire life in the hospitality business.  He held leadership positions at Mr. K and Shun Lee, the two pioneering upscale Chinese restaurants in Manhattan. He and his brothers also built, as in literally  constructed with their own hands, a very successful Taiwanese restaurant in Flushing. Johnny then went on to build more restaurants on Long Island before he joined me at LEAF with his two older brothers who ran our kitchen. 

We set out to create a place in downtown Flushing, a predominantly Chinese and Chinese-American community, that Asians and Asian-Americans could call their own. As LEAF’s reputation grew beyond the boundaries of Flushing, it became an establishment that welcomes an ethnically diverse clientele from all over Queens, Long Island and beyond. I know of no other bar in the city that attracts such a diverse community. We are especially proud of this. 

We are all still in denial and keep expecting him to come walking through the door wearing his signature blazer and metallic gunmetal loafers barking orders and telling everyone to “just do your job.”  

His two sons who have recently graduated from college and begun their careers were his pride and joy.  I’m glad that they had several opportunities to witness their dad in action at LEAF on busy weekend nights.

Johnny had a big heart. 

Johnny was a dedicated father. 

Johnny was a professional. 

He left this earth at the age of 54.  

Too soon. Too damn soon!  

We will forever be grateful to him and we will miss him dearly, but his spirit and his voice will continue to reverberate throughout our little rooftop haven in Flushing. As I know he would have wanted us to, we will dry our tears, put smiles on our faces and soldier on.  

“Get back to work,” he would say.  “And, just do your damn job!”  

Johnny Lin (1967 - 2022)

Rest in Peace Brother. 

Todd