Kanye West demands Melbourne burger restaurant to change logo and burger names

• A Kanye West fan in Melbourne has been sent a cease and desist by the rapper’s legal team.
• Mark Elkhouri had named his restaurant College Dropout Burgers after the rapper.
• The names of other menu items that make reference to Kanye West’s music.

Kanye West fan in Melbourne who named his burger restaurant after the rapper has reportedly been sent a cease and desist by his legal team, requesting its logo and burger names be changed.

Mark Elkhouri originally saw the fact that West had started viewing tales uploaded through the account he had created for his College Dropout Burgers company, named after the rapper’s 2004 debut album, as a sign of approval. West continues to follow the company on Instagram.

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But soon after, a letter from West’s attorneys showed up, according to The Age. Elkhouri was then compelled to cover up a mural of Ye at the shop and remove its teddy bear insignia from “College Dropout.”

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The names of other menu items that make reference to Kanye West’s music, such as the Golddigger, Good Morning, Cheezus, and Parties in L.A. burgers, will also change at the restaurant.

In an Instagram post last month, Elkhouri announced the “removal of all references to Ye” from the business, saying they would “no longer assert that we are directly inspired by Ye or his music”. Elkhouri added that he had “no interest to engage in any legal proceedings” and would “continue to be inspired by and support” West.

The eatery is still operating under its original moniker, and its burgers now include the names of well-known dropouts such Mack Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Steven Spielberg, Brad Pitt, and Quentin Tarantino. Elkhouri himself dropped out of college early to focus on his business.

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“It’s pretty hard being a Kanye West fan with this situation, we have to respect his wishes and move forward,” Elkhouri told The Age. “The fact he was viewing our [Instagram] stories and was there had me believe he was a fan of us.”

Despite the cease and desist, Elkhouri said he remained a fan of the rapper. “Kanye West is the biggest artist of our time,” he explained. “Being a Kanye West fan has led me into this position where I have to still support him… I am extremely disappointed. There’s no doubt about that, but it doesn’t even come close to the impact that he’s had on my life.”