Sweetgreen Changes Name of Menu Item Following Lawsuit by Rival Chain Chipotle Mexican Grill
Sweetgreen, the American fast-casual restaurant chain, has changed the name of its Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl following a lawsuit by rival restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill. The lawsuit claimed that Sweetgreen's advertisement and sign for the menu item used the word “chipotle” in a font similar to Chipotle's stylised logo and sometimes used a shade of red similar to Chipotle's trademarked Adobo Red.[0] The legal action also claimed the product name was displayed more prominently than other source-identifying names or trademarks, and that the term “chipotle” appeared without any features that would tie the product back to sweetgreen.[1] Chipotle asked for an injunction to force Sweetgreen to use a different name for the menu item and for the profits that Sweetgreen earns from the Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl. Sweetgreen issued a statement saying it had agreed to change the name to the Chicken + Chipotle Pepper Bowl as part of a tentative agreement to resolve the lawsuit. Sweetgreen launched the bowl on March 30, describing it as “the latest iteration of sweetgreen’s menu innovation strategy, as the brand evolves beyond salads to introduce a bowl without any greens.[2]
0. “Sweetgreen changes name of burrito bowl after Chipotle lawsuit” Business Insider, 6 Apr. 2023, https://www.businessinsider.com/chipotle-sues-sweetgreen-using-chipotle-name-burrito-bowl-2023-4
1. “Chipotle and Sweetgreen Resolve Trademark Dispute” QSR magazine, 6 Apr. 2023, https://www.qsrmagazine.com/fast-casual/chipotle-and-sweetgreen-resolve-trademark-dispute
2. “Sweetgreen stock falls after Chipotle sues for trademark infringement over burrito bowl” CNBC, 5 Apr. 2023, https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/05/chipotle-sues-sweetgreen-for-burrito-bowl-trademark-infringement.html
