New Jersey Pizzeria Ordered to Remove Famous Star’s Named Pizza Pie from Menu
Fuggedaboutit! Local pizzeria owner realizes fighting a once famous twentieth century Hollywood star is not worth it, so he names pizza after his wife instead.
TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A New Jersey pizzeria has renamed one of its popular menu items after receiving a legal notice from attorneys representing international film star Sophia Loren, who objected to the unauthorized use of her name.
The owner of the pizzeria just announced this week why he is complying with the order.
Key Points
Sophia Loren’s legal team sent a cease-and-desist letter to Brooklyn Square Pizza over trademark concerns
The pizzeria had named a menu item the “Sophia Loren” without permission
The pizza has since been renamed “The Susan Grippo,” honoring the owner’s wife
Trademark clash over pizza name
On December 8, 2021, an attorney for Sophia Loren issued a cease-and-desist letter to Brooklyn Square Pizza, located on New Prospect Road in Jackson Township, alleging the restaurant violated federal and common law trademark rights by naming one of its pizzas after the iconic actress without authorization.
The letter, sent by Laura Goldbard George of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, stated that Loren holds several trademarks—including for “SOPHIA LOREN ORIGINAL ITALIAN PIZZA & Design”—and that using her name in connection with food and restaurant services infringes on those rights.
Use appeared on menus and online platforms
The legal complaint cited the listing of a “Sophia Loren” pizza both on Brooklyn Square Pizza’s physical menu and on third-party platforms such as Slice Life. The letter warned that the use could mislead consumers into believing Loren endorsed the restaurant or its products.
It has come to our client’s attention that your restaurant, Brooklyn Square Pizza, has used and continues to use our client’s valuable intellectual property rights in her name and the Trademark without our client’s consent. Specifically, our client has become aware that Ms. Loren’s name and Trademark is being used for an item on your menu, namely “Sophia Loren” for a pizza, appearing on your website as well as on third party websites such as Slice Life – Lawyers for Sophia Loren.
“Your use of our client’s name and Trademark without her consent, may mislead the consuming public into believing that Ms. Loren endorses your restaurant or, at a minimum, has approved the use of her name and Trademark in connection with your menu item,” the letter reads.
Pizzeria owner makes personal change
Following the notice, Brooklyn Square Pizza opted to rename the item. The pizzeria confirmed in a social media post that the pizza formerly known as the “Sophia Loren” is now called “The Susan Grippo,” named in honor of the owner’s wife.
The post stated: “The reason why we changed the name of the Sofia Loren Pizza to my wife’s Name ‘The Susan Grippo.’”
“It only took me 25 years to get a pie named after me, and this is why,” Susan Grippo said.
What exactly is the Sophia Loren pizza, AKA “The Susan Grippo”?
According to Peter Grippo, owner of Brooklyn Square, the Susan Grippo (formerly Sophia Loren) is as follows:
The Sophia Loren. It’s one of the first specialty pies that I ever started making back in Brooklyn when I was working on my uncle at Chichos Pizza on Avenue in Graveset. And she’s Extra virgin olive oil with my homemade sauce. Then I finish you with Pecorino Romana on a nice Sesame seed crush. This is really… It’s an underrated pie, I think. It’s delicious. It’s something different, really good. Have a great day. Day. This is Sophia Loren, Brooklyn Square, baby.
Who is Sophia Loren?
For those under 65 and not Italian, here’s the lowdown.
Sophia Loren is an internationally renowned Italian actress and one of the most iconic film stars of the 20th century. Born Sofia Villani Scicolone on September 20, 1934, in Rome, Italy, she rose to fame in the 1950s and 1960s for her work in both Italian and Hollywood films.
Loren is best known for her roles in movies such as:
Two Women (1960), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress — the first ever given for a foreign-language performance
Marriage Italian Style (1964)
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963)
Houseboat (1958), opposite Cary Grant
Over her long career, she’s received numerous honors including an Honorary Oscar in 1991 for her lifetime achievements.
Beyond film, Sophia Loren is also known for her elegance, beauty, and status as a cultural icon — which is why her name is trademarked for commercial uses, like in the case with that pizza!
So go out tonight, and have the new Susan Grippo at Brooklyn Square with locations in Toms River, Jackson, and Manalapan.
The Letter
Re: Unauthorized Use of “Sophia Loren”
Dear Sir or Madam:
We represent the international film star Sophia Loren. Sophia Loren owns federal and common law trademarks which include SOPHIA LOREN, including, but not limited to, SOPHIA LOREN ORIGINAL ITALIAN PIZZA & Design (Reg. No. 5,830,706) for, inter alia, services for providing food and drink, restaurant services, pizzeria services, catering services for the provision of food and drink, services provided by restaurants selling take-away meals; pizzas, sauces of pizza, dishes in the form of prepared pizzas, and bread (“the Trademark”).
It has come to our client’s attention that your restaurant, Brooklyn Square Pizza, has used and continues to use our client’s valuable intellectual property rights in her name and the Trademark without our client’s consent. Specifically, our client has become aware that Ms. Loren’s name and Trademark is being used for an item on your menu, namely “Sophia Loren” for a pizza, appearing on your website as well as on third party websites such as Slice Life. See https://slicelife.com/restaurants/nj/jackson/08527/brooklyn-square-pizza-jackson/menu and https://www.brooklynsquarepizza.com/jackson#menu.
By using Ms. Loren’s name and Trademark without her consent, you may mislead the consuming public into believing that Ms. Loren endorses your restaurant or, at a minimum, has approved the use of her name and Trademark in connection with your menu items. Your appropriation of Ms. Loren’s name in this manner is likely to cause confusion among the public and constitutes an infringement of the Trademark. Ms. Loren does not permit unauthorized use of her name, likeness or identity, and enforces her rights in and to her name and Trademark.
Under the circumstances, we request that you immediately cease and desist from any use of Ms. Loren’s name and the trademarks on your website and your menu. We would hope to your written confirmation of the foregoing within two weeks of the date of this letter.
