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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Daniel Boffey

Indie cafe in Brixton takes on hedge fund-backed coffee chain over name

Blank Street Brixton London United States New York Starbucks United Kingdom
Warner Newman, Samantha McKinson and their dog, Loki. They are formally opposing the registration of the Blank Street Coffee trademark in the UK.
Warner Newman, Samantha McKinson and their dog, Loki. They are formally opposing the registration of the Blank Street Coffee trademark in the UK. Photograph: Sarah Lee/The Guardian

A family-run vegan cafe in Brixton has launched a legal challenge against the London expansion of a big US coffee chain seeking to rival Starbucks, claiming its “highly similar” brand was causing reputational damage to its “indie vibe”.

The David and Goliath trademark dispute sets south London’s Blank Coffee, owned by Warner Newman, 34, and Samantha McKinson, 32, and their popular plant-based cinnamon buns, against Blank Street, a New York brand whose owners are funding their expansion plans with the help of venture capital.

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