Lawsuit settled against namesake restaurant group by Carnegie Hall

Lawsuit settled against namesake restaurant group by Carnegie Hall

The defendants were confusing customers into believing Carnegie Hall and Carnegie Diner were connected, Carnegie Hall said.

Carnegie Hall has settled a lawsuit accusing the operator of several Carnegie Diner & Cafe restaurants of infringing trademarks belonging to the world-famous music venue.

The settlement was confirmed by a lawyer for Carnegie Hall in a letter filed in Manhattan federal court. Terms were not disclosed.

Carnegie Hall Corp that manages the 134-year-old venue, accused Carnegie Diner and owner Efstathios Antonakopoulos of consciously trading off its image and brand to promote restaurants in Manhattan; Secaucus, New Jersey; and Vienna, Virginia, with the intention of nationwide franchising.

Last May, the lawsuit challenged restaurants that featured murals of Carnegie Hall's building and stage; and sold t-shirts, tote bags and other merchandise highlighting the venue and historic appearances by singers Bob Dylan and Billy Joel, soprano Maria Callas, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and others.

The defendants were confusing customers into believing Carnegie Hall and Carnegie Diner were connected, Carnegie Hall said. The first Carnegie Diner opened in 2019. One location is diagonally across the street from Carnegie Hall.

Carnegie Hall in a statement on Tuesday said, "Carnegie Hall and Carnegie Hospitality have amicably resolved this matter in a manner that protects Carnegie Hall’s trademark rights and ensures that consumers will not be confused or misled.”

Antonakopoulos, known as Stathis, is chief executive of Carnegie Hospitality, which operates the restaurants. In his own statement too, he said that the settlement was amicable.