Bar goes viral after copying In-N-Out trademark menu items gets them a response

As a burger enthusiast with years of culinary adventures under my belt, I can’t help but admire the audacious spirit of Fairplay Sports Bar. In a world where imitation is often met with stern reprimands, this little sports bar dared to pay tribute to the burger giant, In-N-Out Burger.


A restaurant gained widespread attention for imitating copyrighted dishes from In-N-Out Burger. Consequently, they received a legal notice demanding they stop. Remarkably, the owner responded with a lighthearted attitude to the situation.

The festivities kicked off on September 18th, as Fairplay Sports Bar chose to honor National Cheeseburger Day by introducing two fun-named dishes: the Double Double Burger and Animal Fries.

Without a doubt, both items are popular choices available at In-N-Out Burger. Regarding their choice to mimic the chain’s offerings, owner Shane Gerde disclosed that they were primarily motivated and influenced by the renowned fast-food titan.

Bar goes viral after copying In-N-Out trademark menu items gets them a response

As a food enthusiast, I must say these dishes are simply amazing! They’re not just your typical fast-food, but a leveled-up version that you can savor in a cozy, community-feel setting – a far cry from the usual drive-thru experience.

Following Gerde adding the Double Double Burger and Animal Fries to their menu, In-N-Out reached out with a cease-and-desist letter, requesting them to stop using the trademarked items.

Instead of plunging into a whirlwind of worry, Gerde delightedly found a letter from the burger joint in her mailbox, and expressed her joy by sharing it on social media.

Bar goes viral after copying In-N-Out trademark menu items gets them a response

He wrote, “Stop what you’re currently engaged in, I want you to take a look at something important,” followed by, “We have now been officially acknowledged by Big Burger!

The restaurant followed the guidelines set out in In-N-Out’s letter, and changed the names of their burgers to ‘In-N-Grab a Burger’ and their fries to ‘Secret Menu Fries.’

As I chatted with KUSI-TV, I couldn’t help but feel thrilled. Getting a cease-and-desist order from none other than In-N-Out Burger was more than we could ask for! We were over the moon to be noticed by such an iconic brand, and eagerly changed our names in response.

As you might guess, copying something is a great way to show admiration! Here at our place, we’re huge In-N-Out enthusiasts and simply wanted to express our appreciation by paying tribute,” said Haley Gerde, their social media manager.

We fully empathize with their viewpoint and appreciated making the necessary changes to the names. For us, it was a straightforward adjustment, and we found the team at In-N-Out to be exceptionally accommodating throughout the process.

We sent the letter to you guys since we believed your local pub would appreciate the connection to a well-known spot like yours. Frankly, we didn’t anticipate such widespread interest. It’s all good vibes from us here at Fairplay to In-N-Out!

It’s not just In-N-Out that has pursued legal action over trademarked goods. Recently, Taco Bell successfully fought a case against Taco John’s, a company from Wyoming, who previously held the rights to ‘Taco Tuesday’.

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2024-09-27 18:20