Following news of Tuesday’s trademark violation lawsuit Chipotle Mexican Grill filed against Sweetgreen for naming and marketing its new burrito bowl too similarly to Chipotle, Sweetgreen has agreed to change the name of the menu item, and the lawsuit has been dropped.
According to Los Angeles-based salad brand Sweetgreen, the company has reached a “tentative agreement” with the burrito bowl chain, which includes renaming its new menu item from “Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl” to the “Chicken + Chipotle Pepper Bowl.”
“In order to focus on the business and continue serving our guests without distraction, we have decided to rename our bowl […],” Sweetgreen said in an emailed statement. “Our mission is to bring customers healthy, elevated and craveable menu items that make you feel good. We are looking forward to putting this lawsuit behind us as we continue to connect more people to real food.”
Sweetgreen declined to give further details on the other terms of the agreement with Chipotle, though they likely have to do with the marketing of the item, which was part of the original complaint.
“We are pleased that Sweetgreen has chosen to amend their materials in a manner that protects our trademarks and intellectual property, and therefore, we have both agreed to resolve the pending lawsuit,” Laurie Schalow, chief corporate affairs officer with Chipotle said in an emailed statement. “We will continue our vigilance in protecting our intellectual property in the marketplace.”
The lawsuit, which originally asked for a court order that blocks Sweetgreen from using the Chipotle name and seeks an unspecified amount in damages, has since been dropped in order to resolve the matter between the two companies without the need of a court decision.
Sweetgreen’s new Chicken + Chipotle Pepper Bowl is made with the flavor of Chipotle peppers, along with blackened chicken, roasted chipotle Salsa, wild rice, cilantro lime black beans, sliced tomatoes, and cabbage.
Sweetgreen’s stock is back up to normal levels after initially falling $1.38 following the initial lawsuit.
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