Sarkis Owner Sues Brother; Says Uptown Diner Copied Menu

A family dispute now involves restaurants in two North Shore cities and a complaint filed in Cook County Circuit Court.

Marla Cramin, owner of Sarkis Cafe in Evanston, filed a suit May 6 against her brother, Scott Jaffe and his wife Debra, owners and managers of the Uptown Diner in Highland Park alleging they copied Sarkis’ menu and only changed the names of various sandwiches and other dishes.

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Cramin is asking for an injunction preventing the Uptown Diner and the Jaffes from “using the name Sarkis … or any mark that is confusingly similar to the Sarkis name” to advertise its restaurant or food, from “offering for sale the identical or similar food items as Sarkis and from “doing any other act or thing likely to induce the belief that (the Uptown) is in any way connected” with Sarkis or its products, according to the Cook County Record.

The complaint alleged the Jaffes “decided to copy” Sarkis’ menu items, down to the exact ingredients and price and serve them in the same method. Allegations of consumer fraud, deceptive business practices and violations of the Illinois trade Secrets Act were also made.

Scott Jaffe had previously worked for Sarkis. 

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Another request that the Jaffes post on their business’ Facebook page that it has no affiliation with Sarkis and is not offering for sale any Sarkis food items was also made.

more via the Cook County Record