Iconic 'Late Show' Deli Drops Letterman, Renames Sandwich After Colbert

Rupert Jee, the Hello Deli owner whose prime real estate location next to New York City's Ed Sullivan Theater turned him into an icon on The Late Show with David Letterman, has announced with regret the decision to remove David Letterman's name from his menu.

The "Letterman," as it was once known, is a turkey and ham hero that will now be called the "ET," thanks to a promise Jee made to staff members at Entertainment Tonight.

"It was very painful to remove Dave's name from that," Jee told the New York Daily News. "I just wanted to play it safe and not insult anybody by leaving Dave's name there."

Meanwhile, Letterman's successor, Stephen Colbert, has taken over the popular sandwich previously named the "Shaffer," after Letterman's bandleader, Paul Shaffer.

"It's a tried-and-true sandwich," Jee said. "What better way to honor him than to have his name be called out all the time?"

Colbert has yet to try his namesake sandwich, but made it a point to introduce himself to his new neighbor, Jee confirmed.