Los Angeles-based Umami Restaurant Group is suing Chicago's BopNgrill over one of its menu items. The eatery offers a dish called the Umami burger, and the restaurant group, which operates the Umami Burger chain, alleges trademark infringement, reports Crain's Chicago Business. The lawsuit states that BopNgrill's use of the Umami burger name "is likely to dilute Umami Restaurant Group's famous Umami Burger mark."
Umami Restaurant Group claims it has contacted BopNgrill repeatedly without response. The first Umami Burger opened in Los Angeles in 2009, the same year BopNgrill began serving. The restaurant's Umami burger (with truffled mushroom duxelle, sun-dried tomato confit, togarashi mayo, bacon, smoked gouda) is awfully similar to Umami Burger's eponymous creation (parmesan frico, shiitake mushroom, roasted tomato, caramelized onions, house ketchup).
Despite the lawsuit, BopNgrill is planning a second Chicago location. Umami Burger opened its first Midwest outpost in the Windy City last fall, and a second Chicago location is rumored to be in the works.
Eater Video: Making an umami burger