GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Gwinnett County restaurant owner believes Red Lobster has no business telling her to change her restaurant's name simply because they are similar.
Crawfish is the specialty at the Cajun-style restaurant in Lawrenceville, but the restaurant's name, Red Crawfish, and logo are something Red Lobster argues is just too close to its name and logo.
“My logo is cartoon character crawfish and it's totally different than theirs. Even the color is different,” owner Chen Tsay said.
Tsay showed Channel 2’s Carol Sbarge stacks of letters Red Lobster attorneys sent over the past few years telling them to change their name and logo. Tsay says it started when she went to register her trademark.
Red Lobster sent Sbarge this statement: "As a business that started as one location and grew, we understand this owner's passion. And as a trademark owner, we have an obligation to protect our mark."
Red Lobster officials say they've had several discussions with Tsay and hope they can come to an agreeable solution.
Tsay says changing her restaurant’s name would hurt her business now and she argues her food is not similar to Red Lobster's.
“I believe we shouldn't be bullied by corporate people just because we don't have deep pockets,” said customer Billi Strowder. “How can you compare the two? The food's not the same.”
Tsay says Red Lobster has offered to pay for signage and menu changes, but Chen says customers know the business as Red Crawfish.
“What about our name (that) we built over the years?” she said.