PizzaExpress drops threat to restaurant

A Scottish restaurateur has won his battle against Pizza Express to continue running his business under the name Pasta Le Café.

Colin Edwards, owner of the 24-seat restaurant in Glasgow, received a letter from the national pizza and pasta chain telling him to stop using the words café and pasta because it was confusing to the public, or face legal action. The chain has now backed down.

PizzaExpress has 14 Café Pasta restaurants in England but none in Scotland.

Its letter read: "We must seek from you an unequivocal undertaking in writing in the next seven days that you will cease using the words café and pasta.

"Should such an undertaking not be forthcoming, we shall be left with no alternative but to instruct our solicitors to take the appropriate action against you" (Caterer, 20 January, page 7).

Edwards wrote to PizzaExpress demanding proof of its ownership of the trademark but he received no reply and so continued to run his restaurant under the same name.

This week he received a letter from PizzaExpress saying it would be taking no action against him.

"I am very pleased," said Edwards. "It was a mountain out of a molehill or any other phrase you wish to use. I will certainly not be going anywhere near any of their restaurants."

Glen Tomlinson, company secretary for PizzaExpress, said: "On balance, we have decided there could be no confusion between him and us because his is more of a café arrangement."

by Louise Bozec

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 3 - 9 February 2000