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SUGGESTED COVERAGE: Oakland In-N-Out Burger closing over crime
This is the first time In-N-Out has ever closed one of its restaurants.
LOS ANGELES - In-N-Out Burger is cracking down on its trademarks after apparently sending a cease-and-desist letter to a San Diego restaurant and sports bar for copying its menu items.
Fairplay posted a copy of what appears to be a redacted version of the letter on its Facebook page. The letter called on Fairplay to change the name of its animal fries and double-double burger, claiming it infringes on the popular burger chain's trademarks.
"Cease & Desist what you’re doing right now, you’ve got to see this," the bar wrote. "We’ve officially been recognized by Big Burger!"
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Restaurant owner Shane Gerde told local media the menu items were "largely inspired" by In-N-Out's popular eats with the same name, but also a bit different.
"They’re awesome dishes. It’s just a pumped up variation of what you might have done at a drive-thru restaurant, but instead you get to enjoy it in an atmosphere that’s a local neighborhood spot," he said.
But Fairplay decided to play fair, and complied by renaming the menu items in question to "Secret Menu Fries" and "Burger Burger" - slight variations to "Animal Style Fries" and "Double Double."
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"This feels like the perfect time to pop In-N-Grab a Burger Burger & some Secret Menu Fries. Or double up! Sorry, we don’t mean to tell you what to order. We’re not animals…just not our style," the restaurant wrote on Facebook.
FOX 11 has reached out to Fairplay and In-N-Out Burger for comment.