Suit tossed: Sweetgreen swaps salad name to appease Chipotle

By DEE-ANN DURBIN
AP Business Writer

A lawsuit over a salad has been tossed.

Sweetgreen said Thursday it will change the name of one of its salads in response to a lawsuit filed earlier this week by Chipotle.

Los Angeles-based Sweetgreen added the Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl to its menu last week. On Tuesday, Chipotle sued Sweetgreen in federal court in California, saying the rival restaurant chain was infringing on its trademark by using the word “chipotle” — a jalapeno chili pepper that has been smoked and dried — to sell a product that is similar to a salad that Chipotle sells.

Sweetgreen said it will change the name of the salad to Chicken + Chipotle Pepper Bowl as part of an agreement to resolve the lawsuit.

“We are looking forward to putting this lawsuit behind us as we continue to connect more people to real food,” Sweetgreen said in a statement.

Newport Beach, California-based Chipotle said it was pleased that Sweetgreen is changing the name and believes the new name protects its trademarks.

“We will continue our vigilance in protecting our intellectual property in the marketplace,” said Chipotle.