Open for Business: Leong's Asian Diner

Leong’s Asian Diner
Leong’s Asian Diner opened Dec. 6 at 1540 W. Republic Road following a four-month renovation, said partner Wing Yee Leong. The menu includes the family’s Springfield cashew chicken, as well as other favorites from Leong’s Tea House, the family’s original restaurant, and American classics. Leong’s father, David, opened Leong’s Tea House in 1963. Wing Yee Leong heads up the kitchen and the restaurant’s day-to-day operations. The Leongs, along with Wing’s brother, Wing Ling Leong, are covering the estimated $300,000 startup costs with personal finances and a Bank of America loan. The family pays $4,500 a month to rent the 3,700-square-foot building, which is owned by Muskogee, Okla.-based Pixie Inc., according to the Greene County Assessor’s office. Hours: 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Phone: (417) 887-7500.

Fish Window Cleaning of Springfield
Bill Kifer opened Fish Window Cleaning of Springfield on Nov. 1 at 1722 S. Glenstone Ave., Ste. W, Room 200. Fish Window Cleaning serves commercial and residential customers in Springfield and Battlefield. Franchise fees were $31,000, based on the size of the territory, said Kifer, who used a line of credit from Fort Worth, Texas-based First Command Bank to pay the fees. His Glenstone Square office is leased for one year for $375 a month from JKH Properties. Kifer said eight to 10 window-cleaning businesses exist in Springfield, illustrating a need. St. Louis-based Fish Window Cleaning started in 1978 and now operates 240 locations in the United States. Hours: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Phone: (417) 887-3474.

Five Pound Apparel LLC
Retail clothing store Five Pound Apparel LLC opened Dec. 10 at 412 South Ave. The store is owned and operated by brothers Bryan and Matt Simpson and Andrew Bordelon. Five Pound Apparel obtained a city of Springfield Small Business Development loan for $25,000 and borrowed $10,000 from Five Pound sister company Global Tees Screenprinting, Bryan Simpson said. Five Pound Apparel leases the space from the Simpsons’ parents, Don and Olivia Simpson, for $1,500 a month. For every purchase, the store donates five pounds of peanut butter nutritional treatment to NepalNutrition, which sends supplements to malnourished children in Nepal. Simpson also was inspired by the Toms Shoes model, which donates a pair of shoes for every pair purchased. Five Pound T-shirts cost around $20. Hours: 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Phone: (417) 368-6401.

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