A Chicken Burrito Bowl Comes Between Chipotle and Sweetgreen: NPR
People walk past a Chipotle store in New York City. The fast-casual restaurant known for its burritos and bowls is suing Sweetgreen for alleged trademark infringement.
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People walk past a Chipotle store in New York City. The fast-casual restaurant known for its burritos and bowls is suing Sweetgreen for alleged trademark infringement.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. is taking its fellow fast-casual chain Sweetgreen to federal court over the salad franchise’s new “Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl.”
Chipotle said in its complaint, filed Tuesday, that Sweetgreen’s new menu item constitutes trademark infringement, trademark dilution and deceptive trade practices. The burrito chain also argues that Sweetgreen is trying to profit from Chipotle’s nearly identical, directly competitive and well-known product.
Sweetgreen said in a statement to NPR that it is aware of the lawsuit but does not comment on pending litigation.
The salad chain launched its new menu item at the end of March as part of the company’s expansion beyond green salads and hot grain bowls.
Chipotle said in its lawsuit that “bold chipotle spices” had nothing to do with the inspiration behind the product, as Sweetgreen claimed in a press release.
Among Chipotle’s complaints are that Sweetgreen’s menu item has similar ingredients to its own, and that Sweetgreen is “prominently using” the famous Chipotle trademark in various marketing channels, as well as a font “almost identical to Chipotle’s stylized logo.” The lawsuit also alleges that Sweetgreen’s ads feature “a background nearly identical to Chipotle’s trademarked” Adobo Red color — all with the purpose of creating a false association with Chipotle.
Social media accounts linked to Sweetgreen appeared to acknowledge customers’ close association between the two companies. In response to a comment on Instagram that said “Chipotle who?!” to Sweetgreen’s announcement of the new menu item, the restaurant said, “you said it, not us,” and included an emoji meant to indicate “slipped lips,” the lawsuit alleges.
Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s head of corporate affairs, told NPR that the company is “committed to protecting our valuable trademarks and intellectual property. Accordingly, we will take appropriate action when necessary to protect our rights and our brand.”
