Naming a restaurant often requires as much thought, effort, and angst as developing the concept in the first place. Once chosen, a restaurant name typically remains unchanged unless the concept also shifts—and even then, a name change can lead to confusion. For example, when St. Louis Bread Co. rebranded as Panera, proponents argued that retaining the original name seemed disingenuous when they’d jettisoned it in other markets.
A more recent case involves Mission Taco Joint, which was forced to rebrand after Gruma Corp., the parent company of Mission Foods, claimed trademark infringement. Gruma’s trademark covers its line of tortillas, chips, salsas, and other products. Over the next six months, Mission Taco Joint will transition to its new name, Session Taco, across all eight locations in St. Louis and Kansas City, with updated branding and signage to follow.
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This week saw two more local cases of forced name changes.
Bacaro, the cicchetti bar located on the lower level of Noto Italian Restaurant (5105 Westwood) in St. Peters, has been open for less than a year. However, the owners recently received a cease-and-desist letter demanding they change the bar’s name.
“We thought bacaro was a generic term,” explains Kendele Sieve, who owns both Noto and Bacaro with her husband, Wayne. “In Venice, there are hundreds of bacari, and several restaurants in the U.S. also use the name. We assumed bacaro was like bodega, which isn’t trademarkable. But we were wrong. A restaurant/bar trademarked the name in 2004 and has renewed it twice since.”
Although the Sieves considered challenging the trademark’s validity, they decided that the legal battle wasn’t worth the time or cost. Instead, they opted to change the name, deeming it the simplest solution.
Inspiration for the new direction came from the Sieves visit to Bormio, a popular Alpine resort town in Northern Italy. “We attended a wine dinner there and fell in love with the food, the wine, the whole cozy ski resort atmosphere,” she recalls. “So, we figured that since we had to change the Bacaro name, why not update the concept as well?”
Starting in January, the bar will introduce Alpine-inspired menu items, with a complete overhaul of food, spirits, and wine expected by March. The new menu will feature hearty comfort foods from the Alpine region, including Austrian, Swiss, Northern French, Slovenian, and Northern Italian dishes. Potential offerings include raclette, fonduta or fondue, Alpine dips, quark cheese, goulash, rye bread and cheese soup, and wiener schnitzel. The wine list will align with the new theme, showcasing bottles and varietals from the respective regions.
The décor will also shift subtly to reflect the Alpine aesthetic. “The structure will remain the same, but we plan to replace the Venetian gondolas and masks with hand-drawn artwork of the Dolomites and Alps,” Kendele says.
The transition to Bormio will be complete by March. “We feel this concept can be stronger than the original and eliminates the need to explain cicchetti to everyone,” Kendele notes. “Plus, Bormio starts with a B and has the same number of letters as Bacaro, which makes updating the signage easier—a little sign from the universe, perhaps.”
The Sieves are also transitioning the bar’s website from BacaroSTL.com to BormioSTL.com, ensuring a smooth rebranding process.
Meanwhile, in Kirkwood, The Smiley Face Cookie Company—a side project by Scott and Sheila Rinaberger, owners of McArthur’s Bakery—is undergoing a rebranding after receiving a cease-and-desist letter. The letter came from EPR Holdings, a company that holds a trademark on the word “smiley” for all baked goods.
To choose a new name, the Rinabergers are inviting suggestions from the public via social media. Through Friday, December 6, fans can submit ideas using the hashtag #NewNameNewSmiles.
However, the new name cannot include any variation of “Smile” or “Smiley,” even with alternate spellings, Scott Rinaberger told the St. Louis Business Journal. “We’ve already received over 100 suggestions but are hoping for more,” he said. “We’re looking for a name that captures happiness, fun, and whimsy, while also reflecting our mission of employing people with disabilities.”
The Smiley Face Cookie Company has become well-known in the St. Louis area for its brightly colored, “perfectly imperfect” smiley-face cookies, as well as its hiring practices.
In 2020, Scott Rinaberger transformed the Kirkwood location of McArthur’s Bakery into Pioneer Bakery & Café, a concept that serves as a training ground for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
In 2021, the bakery, its unique model, and the unusual cookies were spotlighted on Today with Hoda & Jenna as part of their Restaurant Week feature. The appearance sparked a wave of inquiries about selling the cookies, including interest from Schnucks, who was eager to carry one of the bakery’s products. Today, six-packs of the signature cookies are available at 77 Schnucks stores in the St. Louis area.
In addition to offering a variety of baked goods, a full breakfast and lunch menu, and coffee, Pioneer Bakery & Café also sells the popular Smiley Face Cookies—new name TBA.
“EPR holdings has known since at least 2010 that McArthur’s Bakery has been producing and calling these cookies Smiley Face Cookies,” Rinaberger says, “as they have sent warning letters over the years but never followed up. Now that we have commercial success and broad appeal, they are now deciding to get more aggressive.”
Both Rinaberger and his attorneys are confident he could legally defend the cookie brand. However, Rinaberger explains that his small business can’t afford to engage in a legal battle. “I deeply want to fight for it, but it’s not the fiscally responsible choice,” he says.
