Lucky Cat Noodle changes name over Gordon Ramsay trademark infringement
Owners A Rule of Tum have been approached by solicitors acting on behalf of Gordon Ramsay Holdings saying that the restaurant group owned the trademark to the name Lucky Cat.
The high-profile chef opened Asian restaurant Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay in 2019 on the site of his former Maze restaurant.
In March A Rule of Tum launched a crowdfunding campaign to turn its pop-up ramen restaurant Lucky Cat Noodle into a permanent operation, a move which it says caught the attention of Ramsay’s lawyers.
“This came as a complete surprise but we are actually really grateful to Gordon Ramsay for pointing this out,” says head chef and founder Pete Dovaston.
“It’s made us think harder to find a name that we can be passionate about and that won’t be confused with any other restaurant offering as we expand. Maneki-Neko means lucky cat, so Maneki Ramen is a fitting name to pick, holding onto our roots but also looking forward to what comes next.”
The new restaurant is expected to open in mid-June and will serve a range of ramen bowls and Japanese sides.
A Rule of Tum says it will be sending Gordon Ramsay a voucher for the new restaurant as an apology for the distress their use of the words Lucky Cat has caused.
