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Australian restaurateur Mark Elkhouri was such a fan of Kanye West that he opened a spot in the city of Melbourne called College Dropout Burgers, in honor of the artist’s smash debut album. It looks like Ye is no fan of Elkhouri or his restaurant, though, to the extent that the rapper’s legal team sent the Aussie a cease-and-desist letter.
“It’s pretty hard being a Kanye West fan with this situation; we have to respect his wishes and move forward,” Elkhouri said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. With the letter, he was made aware that Ye was ready to sue him if business operations didn’t change fast. And it all came as a shock to Elkhouri since he noticed the performer was actively following his Instagram page.
So Elkhouri had a mural of Ye and his popular Dropout Bear logo painted over. He also changed the names of various menu items changed, like their Cheezus burger (in homage to West’s sixth studio album Yeezus) and their fried chicken sandwich called Golddigger. Instead, they will reference other notables who left college early and found massive success, like Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Steven Spielberg.
And the eatery will also keep the same name. As a matter of fact, Elkhouri himself is a college dropout. He reportedly quit higher education years ago to pursue his own entrepreneurial vision. “Kanye West is the biggest artist of our time,” he told SMH, saying he felt more connected to the rapper after his mother passed in 2009.
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Elkhouri admitted that he’s “extremely disappointed” with how his admiration has been received by Ye so far. But he still hopes his idol will eventually reconsider, and he even left one burger on his menu without an official title.
“It’s the only burger name I haven’t changed,” he said, admitting that he dreams the artist may eventually agree to have it named after him in the end. But, despite how much West’s actions sadden him now, “it doesn’t even come close to the impact that he’s had on my life.”
