The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2023
Sweetgreen named a bowl 'Chipotle Chicken' in Chipotle's own red — and got sued days later
Sweetgreen launched a 'Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl' styled in a font and red close to Chipotle's own look. Chipotle sued for infringement days later.
Sweetgreen · Chipotle · 2023-04-05
What happened
In early April 2023, Sweetgreen introduced a 'Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl,' with advertising for the item using a font resembling Chipotle's stylized logo and a red shade close to the burrito chain's trademarked 'Adobo Red.' Chipotle sent Sweetgreen a cease-and-desist letter asking it to drop 'chipotle' from the name; Sweetgreen did not respond.
On 5 April 2023, Chipotle sued Sweetgreen in federal court for trademark infringement, trademark dilution and deceptive trade practices, arguing the marketing was 'very similar and directly competitive' to its own chicken burrito bowl and traded on Chipotle's brand recognition rather than the spice the word technically refers to. Sweetgreen's stock fell on the news of the suit.
The companies resolved the case with Sweetgreen agreeing to rename the item the 'Chicken + Chipotle Pepper Bowl.' Chipotle said it was 'pleased' Sweetgreen chose a name that protected its trademarks; neither side disclosed further settlement terms.
Why it happened
- Naming a menu item after a rival's brand name, not the ingredient itself, invited the trademark reading Chipotle pursued — 'chipotle' the spice and 'Chipotle' the brand looked identical in the name.
- Styling the marketing in a font and color close to Chipotle's own look compounded the naming issue, turning a borderline word choice into visual trade-dress exposure too.
- Not responding to Chipotle's cease-and-desist letter removed the cheapest, quietest off-ramp — a pre-emptive rename — letting the dispute escalate into a public lawsuit and stock hit.
The lesson
A competitor's brand name isn't a generic ingredient word once your marketing also borrows their font and color — ignoring a cease-and-desist trades a quiet rename for a public lawsuit.
Aftermath
The case became a frequently cited example in trademark and marketing-law commentary of how closely brand-adjacent naming and styling choices are scrutinized in a competitive category, and of how quickly an unresolved cease-and-desist can escalate once a product actually ships.
Sources
- CNBC — Sweetgreen renames menu item after Chipotle sues for trademark infringement
- CNN Business — Chipotle accuses Sweetgreen of trademark infringement over its new 'chipotle chicken' bowl
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