Houston-based culinary empire Pappas Restaurants is doubling down on its demand that San Antonio small business Papa’s Burgers change the name it’s used for the past eight years.
If you’re just tuning in, here’s a rundown: Pappas — the owner of the Pappadeux, Pappasito’s and Pappas Burger chains — slapped Papa’s Burgers owner Robert Walker with a cease-and-desist letter ordering him to “immediately transition [his two San Antonio restaurants] away” from their longtime name, logo and associated colors.
When the Current broke the story Tuesday, Pappas Restaurants didn’t offer an immediate response to the paper’s request for comment. However, late Wednesday afternoon, the chain emailed a statement standing by its claim.
“We appreciate that Mr. Walker’s restaurant is a family-run business. We, too, are a family-run business, and for over 25 years, our family has invested time and care into making a brand that our customers love to visit,” Christina Pappas, director of marketing for Pappas Restaurants, said in that statement.
“To protect the efforts of our family and team, the Pappas Burger trademark is registered in the United States Patent and Trademark office. Unfortunately, Mr. Walker’s chosen mark is confusingly similar to our protected trademark, and we are left with no choice but to protect it. We wish Mr. Walker nothing but the best, and look forward to working with him on a reasonable solution and timeline.”
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This article appears in Dec 1-14, 2021.
