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<em>Meat Men</em> Mad At Wendy's Over Black Label Moniker
By
Garth Johnston
Published Apr 9, 2012
Modified Apr 9, 2012
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By
Garth Johnston
Published Apr 9, 2012
Modified Apr 9, 2012
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Just in time for the premiere of their Food Network show, Meat Men, Pat LaFrieda, and his butchering clan have let slip to Page Six that they are now none too amused with the nation's number two fast food chain, Wendy's. In fact, they've sent the company a cease and desist letter after the chain started testing a "Black Label Burger" in select markets around the country.
See, Keith McNally's restaurant Minetta Tavern already sells a "Black Label Burger" made with a custom, and proprietary, blend from Pat LaFrieda. When Wendy's burger, which has not yet been sold in the city, was first announced, the LaFrieda boys seemed pretty chill about the use of the common "Black Label" phrase ("It's like comparing a cell phone of the late eighties to the iPhone 4S!") but it seems they since decided to call some lawyers in, just in case:
Sources say LaFrieda then sent a cease-and-desist letter to the fast-food chain, claiming he had the name first. A rep for Wendy’s confirmed to Page Six it had received the letter, and “our lawyers are talking to their lawyers.” The rep added that a “test period” for its Black Label Burger is wrapping up, after which the chain will evaluate whether to roll the product out nationally.
Our guess? When/if Wendy's decides to take its Black Label Burger (which sounds a lot like an Arch Deluxe to us) national, it'll have a tweaked title. Bring on the Blackwatch Plaid Label Burgers!
Tagged
black label
black label burger
burgers
butcher
minetta tavern
pat lafrieda
wendy's
Garth Johnston
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