Nando's asks Reading restaurant "Fernando's" to rebrand.

[LaserChild9]

So I saw this and had to laugh:

An independent chicken shop says it is being "bullied" by Nando's because the chain is "threatened" by its success.

The chicken giant has launched legal action, accusing Fernando's in Reading of copying its name and images.

But the Berkshire eatery's director said TV show Take Me Out was the real inspiration behind the name.

Nando's said it wants the smaller outlet to rebrand because "we believe it is trying to benefit from some of the things that make us who we are".

Fernando's director Asam Aziz said he received a letter from lawyers acting for Nando's, claiming he was infringing the chain's intellectual property rights.

Image caption
Nando's claims he is infringing on the chain's intellectual property rights in a letter from their lawyers
He told the BBC: "They are bullying me. It's such a worry; I'm just an independent business owner.

"I thought I would start something new, a brand of my own but now this has created such a storm."

Mr Aziz said he and two friends came up with the idea for a Portuguese-style chicken restaurant and they chose a variation of the country's traditional chicken symbol as a result.

The restaurant opened seven months ago and Mr Aziz said he was overwhelmed by the positive reviews it had received.

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Mr Aziz said the name came from the fictitious island winning couples are sent to on game show Take Me Out.

He went on: "Why have they [Nando's] left it until now to contact me with this; why not do it right at the start?

"I think they're threatened by me and my menu."

A Nando's spokesperson said: "We are really proud of our brand and we know it means a lot to our customers.

"That's why whenever we think there is trademark infringement we try to sort it out amicably."

So I can't help but feel this guy is a scumbag trying to get rich off Nando's rep, I mean even if we assume he has been living under a rock and has no idea who Nando's is, the chances are incredibly slim that he would give his restaurant a name that contains Nando's name, specialise in peri peri chicken, use the same colouring for logo and pick a mascot which is strikingly similar to Nando's own. You have to assume that anyone opening a chicken restaurant (or any restaurant for that matter) would check out It's competition so he would be well aware or Nando's, he must be playing dumb.

I think it is hilarious that he thinks Nando's is threatened by him lol. What do you guys think?

[Doctor Amadeus]

I could see the issue, it might seem silly but corporations spend lots of money to fiercely protect their brands. Mostly because how people associate with it can have a great to do with mass appeal.

Although, personally I think a person has a right to sue for whatever they want if it takes that route, but if I were a judge, I would say yeah, it's close but too bad. Unless other than the name there were cause for concern

[Donald Hellscream]

I think it sounds somewhat familiar to a case in Denmark a couple of years ago where a chain of danish steakhouses called Jensen's Bøfhus filed a lawsuit against a small fish restaurant called Jensen's fiskerestaurant over the use of the name Jensen, which might I add is the most common last name in Denmark and the last name of the owner of the fish restaurant.

However in this case it does seem likely that the person is trying to outnando nando's.

[Orby]

Naming your restaurant Fernandos doesn't seem like the main problem here, its the fact they are pushing the same fonts, images and menus to go with the fact that Fandandos sound slike Nandos.

If the place had been Fernandos and had been a coffee shop, I am sure Nandos wouldn't have batted an eye lid :P

.. also I really fancy a Nandos now.

[Kaleredar]

I can see the similarity between the chicken logos but at the end of the day Nando's didn't invent the chicken or that aesthetic, which comes from this:




Additionally, they didn't invent the name "Nando" or "Fernando," either.

[Alnilam81]

He's clearly ripping them off. The name isn't actually that crazy on it's own, it's a pretty normal restaurant name. However EVERYTHING ELSE is clearly an attempt to cash in. The font is very similar and the same colour, a black and red chicken as a mascot/logo is bad enough, but their's also having hearts in it's design is ridiculous.

Fact is people are often very stupid and tricks like this work. Some ill-informed person could go here have a bad experience and then cause a stink on social media blaming the wrong people and damaging Nando's name.

Besides, if they need to stoop this low to get business what other dubious, borderline illegal measures are they taking...?

[InDecisive]

Honestly, as silly as it all looks, Nando's might actually be in the right here. Would need to see more of the branding/images, but from the article it doesn't sound like "Asam Aziz" has any connection to Portugal or its chicken, and the name origin he claims sounds a bit dubious. If it were an actual case of a Portuguese man called Fernando trying to open a traditional chicken restaurant and getting shit for it, that'd be one thing, but if they've used branding and decor that looks very reminiscent of Nando's, are selling food that compares and competes directly with Nando's, and don't have any authentic reason to be calling themselves Fernando's and generally being so similar to Nando's, I don't think it'd be unfair to at least get them to change their branding (not necessarily their name or anything else) to make it more clearly distinct from Nando's.

All that said, still don't know enough about the details to really say anything for sure.

[LaserChild9]

Unless other than the name there were cause for concern

But there is, the logo and the food are also similar. It's like opening a fast food restaurant called MacRonalds, selling largemacs and parading around Donald MacRonald the mime. As different as it is, its a blatant ripoff.

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I can see the similarity between the chicken logos but at the end of the day Nando's didn't invent the chicken or that aesthetic, which comes from this:




Additionally, they didn't invent the name "Nando" or "Fernando," either.

I agree they didn't come up with the chicken logo or the name, but they did put the combination together and build a brand around it and this guys just wants to cash in on that. It is blatant scumbaggery on his part.

[Alnilam81]

One thing is isolation would probably be brushed off, however name, mascot, font, colours, interior design, and menu ALL being strikingly similar is pushing it just a little.

[Doctor Amadeus]

But there is, the logo and the food are also similar. It's like opening a fast food restaurant called MacRonalds, selling largemacs and parading around Donald MacRonald the mime. As different as it is, its a blatant ripoff.

Really, I am not sure I know exactly what you mean. Come on Nobody does things like that.




Ok well maybe a little! You could be on to something

[ZenX]

Really, I am not sure I know exactly what you mean. Come on Nobody does things like that.




Ok well maybe a little! You could be on to something

"Home of the Big Mick" :wink: :wink:

[Themius]

That bird isnt infringing... usually something inspired by something as long as it is different enough is allowed.

[Deleted]

That bird isnt infringing... usually something inspired by something as long as it is different enough is allowed.

Why do you always have to disagree with everyone else? Does it get you off or something?

[LaserChild9]

Really, I am not sure I know exactly what you mean. Come on Nobody does things like that.




Ok well maybe a little! You could be on to something

NO WAY! LOL. I did not actually expect that! McDonald's must have done something about those?

[Video Games]

Really, I am not sure I know exactly what you mean. Come on Nobody does things like that.




Ok well maybe a little! You could be on to something

Do do do do do I'm liking it

[Raelbo]

Yeah, it's pretty clear this guy is trying to piggy back off of Nando's reputation and marketting. This causes 2 issues for Nando's:

1) He's taking sales from them
2) He can harm their brand image

A company has every right to protect their branding from parasites like this. The fact that this guy is trying to feign innocence and is acting like a victim of "bullying" is just plain disingenuous.

I mean, seriously, if his name was actually "Fernando" then maybe I could accept his choice of restaurant name as legit, but the guy isn't even Portuguese, he's of middle eastern decent (with a name like Asam Aziz). Why not pick another nice Spanish name like "Inigo" or "Carlos" or "Juan" or "Xavier" or "Pablo"? So many to choose from, but he just happened to randomly select a slight variation of a similar, well established and successful competitor

[Deleted]

No sympathy

[Themius]

Why do you always have to disagree with everyone else? Does it get you off or something?

.... you see this all the time in media... books... advertisements.. music... like if somethign is insired but different enoguh (which that bird rreally is) it isn't really infringing.

You sound foolish.
"why do you have to disagree with everyone else" because everyone else right now is wrong when you consider how this happens all the damn time

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Yeah, it's pretty clear this guy is trying to piggy back off of Nando's reputation and marketting. This causes 2 issues for Nando's:

1) He's taking sales from them
2) He can harm their brand image

A company has every right to protect their branding from parasites like this. The fact that this guy is trying to feign innocence and is acting like a victim of "bullying" is just plain disingenuous.

I mean, seriously, if his name was actually "Fernando" then maybe I could accept his choice of restaurant name as legit, but the guy isn't even Portuguese, he's of middle eastern decent (with a name like Asam Aziz). Why not pick another nice Spanish name like "Inigo" or "Carlos" or "Juan" or "Xavier" or "Pablo"? So many to choose from, but he just happened to randomly select a slight variation of a similar, well established and successful competitor

the name isn't infringing... the image is different enough (quite radically also)

and what's on the menu? i didn't see the menu.

[Dyra]

Oh wow Fernando's after a night out. Memories. Hope he doesn't have to change his name. It's far enough away from Nando's in Reading town centre anyway that if people want that particular peri-peri they'll go there. Oh and there's Rooster's Peri Peri just around the corner too. ^_^

[Doctor Amadeus]

NO WAY! LOL. I did not actually expect that! McDonald's must have done something about those?

Well there was the real one from Coming to America but it got closed down, the ones in the picture I think were a one time gag for halloween or something, but they did have some real menu items like Sexual Chocolate milk shakes, or The Big Mick, LOL!