Ike’s Place owner no longer affiliated with unopened Westwood location

A sign for Ike’s Sandwiches sign has been hanging in Westwood Village for months but the restaurant’s opening date and ownership remains unclear.

Ike Shehadeh, the founder of 10 Ike’s Place chain sandwich shops in Northern California, said he is no longer affiliated with the Ike’s Sandwiches on Westwood Boulevard near Wilshire Boulevard.

Shehadeh said The Original Soupman company CEO Lloyd Sugarman and Robert Azinian, a co-leaser of the restaurant, will open a restaurant under the same name as his chain restaurant, but the company does not have his permission to use his recipes.

A sign in front of the sandwich shop lists Azinian and Sugarman as guarantors, but the location’s asset manager Ursula Kubasco said she was unable to confirm whether Azinian and Sugarman are renting the space.

Azinian and Sugarman could not be reached for comment.

In April, Shehadeh intended to open the restaurant at Subway’s former location on Westwood Boulevard.

But, he said the lease holders and The Original Soupman company joined to open the store without him in a recent Facebook post on his public page.

Shehadeh said the signage in front of the Westwood location is different from his locations in Northern California, and he has not given the lease holders his recipes.

Shehadeh added that he intends to open at least one other Westwood location in the future.

Compiled by Yael Levin, Bruin senior staff.