Modesto, Merced sandwich shops rebrand following West Coast Sourdough lawsuit
Remnants of the West Coast Sourdough sign can be seen behind a new banner on Tully Road, where the former sandwich shop existed since 2023.
Cali Rays Sourdough Deli has taken its place after company turmoil caused a West Coast Sourdough franchisee to separate from the company.
It’s not the only location to rebrand. Former West Coast Sourdough franchise owner Raj Singh began separating his businesses from the company in March and has rebranded 18 — between Chico and Bakersfield — as Cali Rays Sourdough Deli.
The list includes the stores at 3430 Tully Road in Modesto and 125 E. Yosemite Ave. in Merced.
West Coast Sourdough rebranding comes after lawsuit
The rebrandings follow a period of change at West Coast Sourdough. In 2024, the company parted ways with founder and then-CEO Kay Uppal.
Uppal said that he was fired while on vacation, and then he was pushed out of the business he built.
In late February, Uppal filed suit against his business partners, claiming they breached fiduciary duties and diverted corporate assets for the benefit of their families while keeping him from seeing corporate records.
The lawsuit also claims that the company has not entered into lawful agreements with some franchises and that it abdicated its “quality-control and policing obligations,” leading to “substandard products, unsanitary conditions, inconsistent service and other deviations,” at its restaurant locations.
“These deviations have caused, and continue to cause, actual and threatened consumer confusion, dissatisfaction, and loss of confidence in the West Coast Sourdough brand,” according to the lawsuit.
Before his departure, Uppal oversaw franchise operations and was responsible for contacting and recruiting new potential franchisees, many of which were in the Central Valley.
Singh signed his original franchise deals with Uppal and saw a difference in how the restaurants were treated by the company following his departure.
“After he was gone, the company was going down and down,” Singh told The Fresno Bee in early May.
A rise in food costs, a slowing of sales and a lack of any engagement with the company eventually led him to start rebranding his shops. The company has since tried to retaliate against his remaining restaurants by giving unwarranted refunds via Door Dash among other things, Singh told The Fresno Bee.
How has the rebranding affected the menu?
Cali Rays Sourdough Deli has not deviated far from West Coast Sourdough’s concept but has a slightly expanded menu. It serves sandwiches, wraps, flatbread, soups, salads and baked goods.
House sandwiches range from $9.65 to $13.65 depending on size. Specialty sandwiches are $10.45 for a small, $12.45 for a medium and $14.45 for a large.
Wraps are gluten-free and come in a six-inch size. Flatbread sandwiches range from $11.99 to $12.99 and flavors include pesto chicken and vegetarian.
There are six salad choices that range from $9.49 to $9.99 for a small and $12.70 to $13.29 for a large.
Sides include pesto hummus and coleslaw. Baked-good options are cookies, gluten-free brownies and fully or par-baked baguettes and bread bowls.
Cali Rays Sourdough Deli is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Fresno Bee’s Joshua Teehee contributed to this story.
This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 2:27 PM with the headline "Modesto, Merced sandwich shops rebrand following West Coast Sourdough lawsuit."
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