Ben Stewart on Snuffer’s v. Snuffer Lawsuit
Bailey Brauer Counsel Ben Stewart joined KLIF-AM’s Kurt Gilchrist to discuss the local lawsuit pitting Snuffer’s Restaurants, Inc., against Pat Snuffer, who lost control of the Snuffer’s name after Snuffer’s Restaurants filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. Mr. Snuffer planned to open a new Snuffer’s in the original lower Greenville Ave. location, but the new owner of Snuffer’s Restaurants, Firebird Restaurant Group, demanded that Mr. Snuffer stop using the Snuffer’s name. In an apparent attempt to comply with the demand, Mr. Snuffer changed the name of his new restaurant to Pat’s Burgers & Cheddar Fries. Snuffer’s Restaurants then filed suit and obtained a temporary restraining order against Mr. Snuffer to prevent Pat’s from opening. The plaintiffs’ biggest challenge is likely to be its trademark and trade dress violation claims, Mr. Stewart said. “The Snuffer’s brand isn’t as well-known as some of the others,” he explained, referencing McDonald’s Golden Arches and the brown background and distinctive blue font on a Snickers candy bar wrapper. “You know what a McDonald’s looks like. When you drive past those arches, you know . . . Snuffer’s hasn’t reached that level.” Neither Mr. Stewart nor Bailey Brauer PLLC are involved in the Snuffer’s litigation.