Artichoke Pizza Not Coming to Hoboken, Owner Says Former Employees Stole Name

Popular New York chain to Hoboken after all.

While a sign hangs in the window of 207 Washington St., , it's not the real Artichoke, said one of Artichoke's owners Frances Garcia. 

"It's not us at all," he said in a phone interview on Tuesday afternoon. Garcia, one of three owners, opened the first location of Artichoke in Manhattan's East Village in 2008. He said that two of his former employees formed a partnership after leaving together and rented the place without Garcia's consent. 

There are four locations of Artichoke Pizza in New York, three on Manhattan and one at LaGuardia Airport.

Garcia said he had actually looked at the space at Second and Washington, but had decided it was too small for his pizza ovens. 

"Hoboken is definitely on our radar," he said. 

Garcia found out about the scam, he said, when the owner of called him up congratulating him on leasing the space across the street. 

"You got to be kidding me," Garcia answered his friend. 

Garcia said he will sue his former employees who allegedly took his trademark and put it in the window of 207 Washington St. 

"(I'm) very upset," Garcia said. "I got my heart and soul in this."