One of the city's most respected restaurant groups is reportedly having a cow over a new Upper West Side steakhouse's name, logo and menu.
The Post reports that Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group issued a cease-and-desist to Lincoln Square Steak's management; a USHG spokesperson simply said, "While we can’t comment on a legal matter, the striking resemblance between that logo and Union Square Cafe’s should be rather apparent to just about anyone."
The logos in question
Restaurant consultant Don Evans, who is working with Lincoln Square Steak, told the Post, "I have a high regard for Danny, but I think he is over-reaching this time. [USHG chief legal officer] Kathie Lee said that not only was our logo too similar but that our menu also was... I pointed out that their logo is red and white and ours is red and black, that Union Square Café is a downtown spot with a New American menu featuring one steak, and Lincoln Square is on the Upper West Side with nine different types of steak... She said we both had pasta on the menu; I said that was one of the silliest things I had heard in a while..."
Evans added, "She said using the word ‘square’ was a violation of their trademark. I pointed out that the restaurant resided in Lincoln Square and that the Lincoln Square Theater is few blocks away... I’d like to invite Danny and his team to our opening so they can see how different we are."
If it's any comfort to the Union Square Hospitality Group, Lincoln Square Steak looks nothing like one of their properties. USHG restaurants have an undercurrent of elegance, whether it's rustic warmth at Gramercy Tavern or sleek polish at North End Grill. Even Shake Shacks have an appealing clean, stripped down design.
From what I've seen on the outside, Lincoln Square Steak seems nothing like a USHG restaurant. To be honest, it looks like a bordello—it's painted a bright, garish red with black trim and gold trim, and they just added these weird flame-or-flower andirons by the front steps. And I say this as a neighborhood resident who wants Lincoln Square Steak to succeed—since 2001, there have been countless chefs (Katy Sparks! John Fraser! Maria Loi!) and restaurant incarnations (Marika! Compass! Loi!) at the 208 West 70th Street space, and it'd be nice if something could stick around because Cafe Luxembourg is always crowded.
