Chipotle Filed A Lawsuit Against Sweetgreen Over New Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl
Chipotle is once again making headlines across the country but this time, it isn’t their product making waves. Sweetgreen, a national salad chain, recently launched their newest innovation: the Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl. Sound familiar? Execs at Chipotle were quick to sic their lawyers on Sweetgreen.
Sweetgreen announced their newest innovation on March 30 and was quickly met by Chipotle’s filed lawsuit the following Tuesday, claiming that Sweetgreen was trying to ride the coattails of Chipotle’s ever-popular burrito bowls. Chipotle’s lawsuit also claimed that the promotional materials used to market Sweetgreen’s new bowl emphasized the word chipotle in a similar font to theirs.
According to a late-March press release, Chief Concept Officer Nic Jammet announced that the bowl is “[n]amed for its thoughtfully-sourced chipotle powder that provides the perfect slightly spicy, smokey bite.” The bowl includes rice, beans, grilled vegetables, and a chipotle-flavored chicken.
In a comment given to CNBC, Chipotle’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Laurie Schalow said, “We don’t typically comment on litigation, but we will say generally that we’re committed to protecting our valuable trademarks and intellectual property. Consistent with that, we will take appropriate actions whenever necessary to protect our rights and our brand.”
Sweetgreen was quick on their response in avoiding litigation, making the move to change the name of their bowl. In a comment made to Today, a Sweetgreen spokesperson said: “In order to focus on the business and continue serving our guests without distraction, we have decided to rename our bowl to the Chicken + Chipotle Pepper Bowl as part of a tentative agreement to resolve the lawsuit.”
The name of the bowl has officially been changed and the lawsuit is being dropped. Schalow was happy to announce in a statement last week: “We are pleased that [sweetgreen] has chosen to amend their materials in a manner that protects our trademarks and intellectual property, and therefore, we have both agreed to resolve the pending lawsuit. We will continue our vigilance in protecting our intellectual property in the marketplace.”
