At least two restaurant owners say someone is impersonating their businesses on food delivery services in San Francisco.
Blowfish Sushi to Die For was a neighborhood staple in the Mission District for over 20 years, until it closed permanently in December.
But the San Francisco Chronicle reported that just two months later, a restaurant named Blowfish Sushi started appearing on delivery services with the same logo and address, and a new Yelp page described it as a "legendary sushi spot" that first opened in 1998.
That was news to Jason Teplitsky, who owned and operated the original Blowfish. The new restaurant is even operating out of the same storefront with the original signage.
Kevin Chen, who manages the new restaurant, told the paper that the new owners - who he could not name - used the signage and logo because it was the quickest way to open and are in the process of changing it.
But Teplitsky said the new owners have also registered with the city as Mission Blowfish, Inc. and believes it was intentional attempt to profit off of Blowfish's reputation.
Blowfish is not the only familiar restaurant operating on delivery apps from that location. A restaurant named SF Wagyu Mafia is also listed in delivery services with the same address, 2193 Mission St.
Wagyumafia is also the name of a famous restaurant in Tokyo that had previously planned to open a location in San Francisco, and SF Wagyu Mafia is serving some similar menu items. A food writer for 48Hills.com found the listing convincing enough to place an order and mention the restaurant in a column.
A spokesperson for Wagyumafia told the paper there is no connection between the two, and they are considering taking legal action for copyright infringement.
Chen said he had no knowledge of SF Wagyu Mafia and could not explain why it was using the same address.
Both Wagyumafia and Teplitsky are now trying to get the listings removed from delivery services.
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