Pub takes on McDonalds

The Corner McCafe - Richmond (image supplied)

McDonald's, the world's most recognisable fast food chain, has incurred the wrath of a local pub after one of its outlets changed its image to attract hipsters.

The Maccas in Camperdown, in Sydney's inner west, replaced Big Macs and cheeseburgers with tofu and quinoa salads, boiled eggs with baby spinach, four-cheese toasties and cold drip coffee.

As part of the rebranding, staff wore aprons with leather straps and denim shirts and the boutique shop was called "The Corner". They even designed a logo to go along with it.

That was where the trouble started.

One of Melbourne’s most iconic pubs, The Corner, which is located near the MCG, does not want its name associated with fries and burgers and Ronald McDonald. It claims McDonald's breached its trademark when it opened in 2014.

Swancom, the company that owns the pub, has written to McDonald's to complain on a number of occasions and it has hired lawyers from Clayton Utz to represent them in the Federal Court.

According to its statement of claim, McDonald's and its corporate owner MCD Asia Pacific had created a logo that was deceptively similar to its own. In doing so, the company said McDonalds had breached copyright.

The Corner Hotel sued McDonald's in April, alleging the Richmond venue had lost sales after McDonald's established the breakaway store next door to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

McDonald's told news.com.au it had agreed to change the logo.

But it told the news group that "the decision to change signage was made prior to the commencement of court action".

"The matter is still ongoing and has not been settled," a McDonalds spokeswoman told news.com,au.

Nonetheless, a hearing to mediate is scheduled for early September in the Federal Court and, according to the Morning Report, McDonald's is expected to contest other claims and proceed with plans to continue using the name.

Leon Gettler - 16th August 2018