Frog bar and restaurant on King’s Road will change its name to Lilypad after a legal challenge from a London restaurant with a similar name.
Frog opened in April by friends Charlie Moorby and Tom Moxham to rave reviews.
The area is not known as a foodie hotspot but they have hopes it could help turn King’s Road into a destination hub.
But around a month ago they received legal contact on behalf of Michelin-starred Frog by Adam Handling Restaurant Covent Garden, which said the Harrogate eatery had used its trademark.
The news came as a personal blow to the owners as they named the bar and restaurant after their favourite amphibian and there are around 70 images of frogs around venue. Mr Moorby told the Stray Ferret:
“Frustrating is one way to put it. We named it Frog because of personal connections.”
He said they were aware the London restaurant owned a trademark on the name ‘Frog’ before they opened, but said: “we did not think we would be perceived as a worry or would be confused with themselves.”
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Whilst the owners will shortly be removing all signs with the name Frog, Mr Moorby says the new name, Lilypad, retains the DNA of its former title.
He assured customers that nothing about the restaurant will change, except the name.
Mr Moorby added:
“We’re a fledgling business so it wasn’t welcome, but we’ll take the challenge on and roll with the punches.”
The Stray Ferret contacted Frog By Adam Handling Group for a response but we did not receive one at the time of publication.
