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Vasken’s Deli closes amid ownership dispute

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Last edited 2:08 p.m., Oct. 5, 2015

Vasken’s International Deli and Food Market closed its doors Sept. 30 due to an ownership dispute and alleged theft.

Staci Haroutounian, who with her husband Vasken opened the original Vasken’s in Branson in 1997, said one of three limited liability companies involved in the ownership of the Springfield restaurant allegedly robbed the store last Monday night of its equipment and other assets, including food. She alleges MODeli LLC, organized with the secretary of state by Cary Parker and Chad Carleton, served as the management company of the restaurant but had become behind on payments owed to Haroutounian’s entity, Vasken’s Deli LLC, and a third LLC she declined to name. She said a clause in the arrangement allowed the third entity, which she said now owns 95 percent of the Springfield shop, to buy out MODeli’s shares. She said her company owns 5 percent.

“They didn’t want to accept that fact that they didn’t have those shares,” Haroutounian said of MODeli, noting a police report had been filed. “They took the tomatoes and the onions.”

A police spokesperson could not be reached for comment by deadline.

She said her Branson business holds the lease on the space in Battlefield Market Place rented from Magers Enterprises. Shannon Handwerker, property manager with Magers Enterprises, declined to comment.

Parker said financial and management disputes among the operators forced the restaurant to close. He said the issues would need to be resolved before Vasken’s, 900 E. Battlefield Road, could reopen.

“It’s my hope that we can come to a quick resolution so that the deli can get reopened, whichever members go by the wayside,” he said.

Parker said Craig Lowther of Lowther Johnson Attorneys at Law LLC is representing the entity he’s a partner in to work out the differences with the other entities’ attorneys. Neither party has filed a lawsuit.

“Hopefully, those items will be resolved this week,” Parker said, noting the restaurant employs seven.  

The Haroutounians opened the Springfield location of Vasken’s Deli in March 2014. The Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant includes such items as gyros and tabouli salad. Parker said the Branson store remains open.

A sign viewed Saturday on the door of the Springfield shop said the restaurant “is experiencing an interruption in our regular business operation that led us to currently be closed for business.”

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