Katz’s Deli: Burbank vs. NYC Delicatessen Trademark Dispute

Katz’s Delicatessen, no relationship to the renowned Katz’s Deli in New York City, quietly opened earlier this year from owner Sheldon Katz, a long time catering service to Burbank’s film manufacturing workshops. Eater talked with Katz, that says the New York deli, which is presently had by restaurateur Martin Dell, Alan Dell, Fred Austin, and Jake Dell, is aware of Katz’s Burbank sandwich area yet hasn’t officially contested its use. The New York deli holds the federal hallmark for Katz’s Delicatessen, while Burbank’s Katz asserts that he has actually held the California state hallmark for Katz’s Deli for the past 5 years. Formerly, New York’s Katz’s sued a pastrami cart called Katz & Dogz for appropriating the Lower East Side delicatessens’s a good reputation and name.

Burbank’s Katz’s Deli: A Newcomer

Sheldon Katz offers a fairly uncomplicated menu of delicatessens standards, using R.C. Arrangements’ pastrami (the exact same manufacturer that makes pastrami for Langer’s Delicatessen, and essentially every other top quality deli in Southern The golden state), though he makes his own double-steamed corned beef on the premises. Katz is likewise pleased with his brisket, offered on egg bread and baked in-house. All the brisket-based meats are carved by hand, and Katz claims his multi-day corned beef dish originated from an Israeli female who shared her dish with him soon prior to she died. Katz resources the plush, seedless rye bread to his specs from a local bakery that he will not name. Cold sandwiches are valued at simply under $20 each, and include turkey breast, triple decker poultry clubs, tuna salad, and salami. Sandwiches include an option of macaroni salad, salad, or cole slaw, plus pickle spears.

Menu and Trademark Issues

Eater spoke with Katz, who claims the New york city deli, which is currently possessed by restaurateur Martin Dell, Alan Dell, Fred Austin, and Jake Dell, understands Katz’s Burbank sandwich area but hasn’t officially contested its use. The New york city delicatessens holds the federal trademark for Katz’s Delicatessen, while Burbank’s Katz claims that he has held the California state trademark for Katz’s Deli for the past five years. Previously, New York’s Katz’s sued a pastrami cart called Katz & Dogz for appropriating the Lower East Side deli’s goodwill and name. The cart had a sandwich called the Sandwich Climax called after the popular scene in When Harry Met Sally. New York’s Katz’s has actually made minimal looks in Los Angeles, with a one-day pop-up in 2024 in West Hollywood.

Matthew Kang
is the Lead Editor of the Southern California/Southwest region, and has covered dining, dining establishments, food culture, and night life in Los Angeles given that 2008. He held a YouTube program called K-Town, covering Oriental food in America and has actually been featured on Netflix’s Street Food.

The Burbank Operation

There’s a brand-new sandwich area in the back of the Burbank liquor shop, and the name may be all also acquainted to followers of the Jewish deli genre. Katz’s Delicatessen, no relation to the famed Katz’s Delicatessen in New york city City, quietly opened previously this year from owner Sheldon Katz, a longtime event caterer to Burbank’s film manufacturing workshops. Katz and his wife Mimi took control of the back counter of Village Alcohol & Market, a stone’s toss from Detector Bros. Studios, offering a limited menu of bagels, matzo ball soup, cold and hot sandwiches, and chili cheese hotdogs. On the whole, the tiny Burbank operation– with basically no seats and a single-sided paper takeout menu– is an unlike the Lower East Side organization that’s been open because 1888 and commemorated in When Harry Met Sally.

A minimum of in the meantime, there are also some daily deals, like 10 percent off on Tuesdays, two chili pets on Wednesdays for $7, and $2.50 off all sandwiches on “Thankful” Thursdays. It could be only an issue of time till Katz obtains a cease-and-desist letter or suit from the New York deli, but, until then, curious Angelenos can get what totals up to some really solid deli sandwiches in the back of a Burbank alcohol shop.

Back in Burbank, a cardinal red and yellow plastic indicator flitters on the shop of Town Liquor & Market: It checks out “Katz’s Delicatessen” in a sans serif font that has a passing resemblance to the New York deli’s famous neon indicator. Katz and Mimi had originally planned to take it easy for their retirement, assuming a liquor store sandwich store would be simpler than running a whole wedding catering organization, but so far, the delicatessens counter has taken long hours to operate.