On the FB site, there’s mention of a Tom Waits-themed eatery called Rein Dogs in, maybe, Sweden. I can see that the image on the ad is of Tom himself, so I imagine all the right permissions have happened.
This is increasingly rare, though. There is a small cafe in Auckland called Major Tom with a zigzag bisecting the two words on the logo. The dishes have Bowie-esque names etc. However, when you go there, there are no Bowie songs playing, no pictures on the walls, no blurb in the menu about why Bowie is such an inspiration or anything like that. It then dawned on me that the cafe has done a nimble bit of IP-nicking by not mentioning the JIODHM by name but trading on his image. There’s a small chain of them now.
There’s also another cafe called Let it Be, which has generic Beatley imagery on the walls. A zebra crossing, Lennon-style glasses, a yellow submarine, CND symbols and peace signs. And yet no pics of The HJHMs or any mention of them by name.
To my mind, these people are cynical bastards and their exploitative establishments should be avoided. Do you have any examples from your area?
Rigid Digit says
Chip shop I went to oop north somewhere (York?) called James Brown, The Codfather Of Sole.
Not exploitative of the name, just thought it amusing
fentonsteve says
There’s one in Cambridge, out near the airport, called The Codfather. The typography on the sign above the door is the same as the film, but that appears to be the extent of it.
retropath2 says
They do a great horse’s head!
fentonsteve says
Fish tails in concrete batter.
Milkybarnick says
Get Up Off Of That Ling!
Leffe Gin says
Peas Peas Peas
Gatz says
There used to be a WW2 themed pizzeria in Preston called Winston’s. It was decorated with camouflage netting, gas-masks and so on, and the pizzas had names like Our Finest Hour and My Dear Clemmie. It was actually rather good, though last time I visited Preston it had been replaced by a lap dancing bar which I assume has dispensed with the militaria.
moseleymoles says
Paging @black-celebration https://www.depechemode.ee/
Cheeky to use the band name as your URL.
Black Celebration says
I’m aware of that place and I will go to it if I’m ever in that neck of the woods.
The cafe is fully immersive Depeche Mode though – which is fine by me.
slotbadger says
The Hard Day’s Night hotel in Liverpool seems (from the website) to be more or less a IP-agreement-free zone, with mainly generic IWTHYHHM iconography, some memorabilia and half-heartedly named pub food (eg ‘Fab Four’ tacos, ‘Here Comes The…’ steak and ‘John’s Favourite’ samosas. Onion rings, weirdly not called ‘Glass Onions Ringos’)
TrypF says
I’ve stayed there and I’d argue they must have some kind of agreement – Beatles music of every description is constantly played in the lobby (you can also pipe in in your room), likenesses abound and there’s a shop selling Fabs memorabilia of every sort. We stayed in the Concert for Bangladesh room – all white shagpile rugs, with a giant photo of George in That Suit over the bed. FWIW we had a whale of a time, the staff were super friendly and the breakfast buffet was outstanding.
Locust says
Scrambled eggs?
hubert rawlinson says
👏
Jaygee says
With a glass of Coca Cogan
slotbadger says
That sounds a much better experience than the website would suggest! Glad you had a good time – I didn’t realise they had the shop etc.
Cookieboy says
There is a fish and chips chain in Melbourne (and maybe elsewhere) called “Hunky Dory” Just up the road from the one near me is a restaurant called “Wok This Way” There is an entire picture book (or maybe just a large photo website) in this subject in Melbourne alone.
Jaygee says
Not really IP ripoffs though, as both WTW and HD were well known expressions before they were co-opted as titles.
Also, Dory is a type of fish and wok is an obvious replacement for Work or Walk so fair game for those kinds of businesses.
Aussies tend to be very good at this sort of stuff – 668 The Neighbour of the Beast is the best tribute band name ever
Vulpes Vulpes says
I didn’t know that Aphrodites Child had generated a tribute band! I wanna see them!
Hawkfall says
If you’re ever in Perth, you can have a sandwich at Toastface Grillah.
https://www.toastfacegrillah.com/
thecheshirecat says
I find that genuinely amusing. But how many of their customers get the joke?
hubert rawlinson says
I’m annoyed that Morrisons supermarkets have no Morris dance displays or staff dressed as the album cover.
Jaygee says
Most branches employ a rotund, red-faced van in a pork pie hat behind their butcher’s counter though
salwarpe says
Doing side orders of mussels in jars and potted herrings?
MC Escher says
Surely that name would lend itself better to Doors-based japery? Mr Mojo Risin’ for their selection of bread rolls etc
Jaygee says
Staff could wear name badges saying “Hello I loaf you”
davebigpicture says
There’s a seafood stall on the seafront here, not sure what the name is but they have on the awning “Shrimply the Best.” My friend added “Batter than all the rest.”
mikethep says
There used to be, and may still be, a shamelessly IP-nicking chicken joint in Wood Green called Kennedy Fried Chicken, with cunning presidential overtones.
retropath2 says
“Our chicken makes you Trump!”
Jaygee says
@mikethep
Morrisons took the chook joint over and renamed it
“Kennedy Fried Chicken Fried Chicken”
fentonsteve says
“It takes seconds of your time to make his fries”.
Jaygee says
Their Ich Bin Ein Berliner jam donut range was a big seller
Vulpes Vulpes says
Chappaquiddick Smoothies – all wet, green and limpid?
Jaygee says
@Vulpes-Vulpes
Went there after reading your post to investigate and Ted, the owner, vehemently denied all knowledge of any such item.
Are you still heading over to Ireland shortly?
Vulpes Vulpes says
@jaygee Yes, flying over to Dublin on Thursday next, picking up a hire car and driving west.
Will give you a shout early next week to see if a brief meet up is on the cards.
Jaygee says
Excellent.
It’s about 90 mins from Dublin to Athlone and 60 from A to Galway
So fingers crossed you’ll have a couple of hours for lunch and/or a trip over to my late uncle’s farm
thecheshirecat says
I suspect the owners of Arthur Lee antiques in Knutsford would be bemused as to why they are being mentioned on this thread.
Sniffity says
If you’re hungry, the Al Pacino Pizzeria in this neck of the woods could be just the ticket – liberal use of his likeness, focused mainly on Godfather and Scarface imagery.
And the Disney organisation are famous for coming down hard on kindergartens and child care centres that dare paint Mickey Mouse on a wall.
dai says
Bizarrely there was a sandwich shop in Toronto dedicated to Wilco called Sky Blue Sky. Each sandwich named after a Wilco track. I went there once it, was ok. I believe Jeff Tweedy ate there one time when in town for a gig. It is no longer there.
Jaygee says
@Dai
They obviously weren’t making sufficient dough
dai says
Their delivery system wasn’t good, all went via Chicago
Jaygee says
Presumably on the Subway
Leffe Gin says
A Toastie is Born
Locust says
There used to be (I guess it could still exist, I haven’t checked) a restaurant here in Stockholm named, bizarrely, Cliff Barnes after the character in popular 80s TV soap Dallas. I never went, but I believe it was a steakhouse or similar with appropriate decor.
I seem to remember that Ken Kercheval (the actor playing that character) visited at least once and seemed pretty pleased, if the tabloid interviews were to be believed.
myoldman says
I remember being in a slightly Apocalypse Now themed craft beer pub in Saigon a few years ago. I can’t for the life of me remember the name though. And I have a feeling there is/was a chain of them. It’s been a very long day, hence the vague post. Sorry!
Jaygee says
@myoldman
Went there a few times when I lived in HCMC in the 1990s. Much preferred Q Bar in the old Opera House.
The rooftop bar at the Rex Hotel was the best of the whole lot – hard not to think of all the journos who had sat there before you
myoldman says
Yes, I remember the rooftop at the Rex as well. It had that feeling of history there. I’m sure I’d seen it feature in a film as well (or maybe it was a mock-up of it). It felt quite familiar when we got there
Jaygee says
When were you there @myoldman, and were you on holiday/touring around or working there?
I was lucky enough to work in HCMC for the whole of 1997 when it was still very much as it had been in the days of the country’s war with the French. In those days 60% of the population was aged under 30 because of the aftermath of “the American War”.
Consider myself to have been very fortunate to have lived in such a fascinating place at such a fascinating time in its history and leav.ing is one of the biggest regrets of my life.
Last time I was back was in 1999 but from what I hear commercialization has supplanted the place’s bygone charm. While perfectly understandable, it’s a little bit sad.
myoldman says
No Jaygee, it was probably less than 10 years ago. It probably has changed a lot, we still enjoyed it very much though
Hamlet says
There’s a chippy in Warrington called New Cod on the Block, which is, mercifully, not a nod to the Hangin’ Tough hitmakers.
thecheshirecat says
I remember way back there being a shop in Hale called Close to the Edge, full Roger Dean logo on the fascia, the lot. Suspect this was long before the term ‘intellectual property’ had been invented. It may even have been considered a compliment.
myoldman says
There’s so many chip shops mentioned on here that I first read your post as the same and wondered what on earth that’s got to to do with fish and chips, not even a decent pun in there.
retropath2 says
Only a Wilmslow boy would understand.
thecheshirecat says
Arf. There really is a local free ‘lifestyle’ rag distributed to Cheshire’s golden triangle, called Livin’ on the Edge.
Jaygee says
That certainly put him in his plaice
hubert rawlinson says
Seeing the toastie mentioned above I thought there should be a place called ‘Born to Bun’ I looked it up and there was one in Newbury but alas it’s closed, maybe never to reopen.
There’s an opening there for a bakery franchise if anyone would like to invest just send me some dough.
Kid Dynamite says
There was, maybe still is, a vegetarian Indian restaurant in Plymouth called Veggie Perrin’s. It leaned heavily into the world of Sunshine Desserts, with pictures of the cast, taglines like “I didn’t get where am I today by eating meat” and so on. It got a mention in David Nobbs’ autobiography, where he seemed somewhat bemused by the whole thing rather than irritated or litigious.
hubert rawlinson says
Indeed it is still there I’ve not been but it sounds like my type of place I love their description of chips.
I think D Nobbs got right.