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The folks behind New Orleans’ fast-expanding St. Roch Market are reportedly eyeing the McDonald’s headquarters in Chicago as the next outpost for the upscale food hall.
The 27,000-square foot space would be the organization’s fourth food hall. St. Roch Market in New Orleans, the first of the bunch, opened in April 2015 in a space that was opened as a food hall under the same name at the beginning of the 19th century by the city of New Orleans, who owns the building. St. Roch Miami opened in February 2018, followed by Auction House Market in New Orleans’ Warehouse District at the beginning of March.
Though initial reports are calling the forthcoming Chicago spot “St. Roch Market,” a lawsuit filed by the city of New Orleans claiming trademark infringement could affect plans to use that name. The city says that the owners of St. Roch Market are only allowed to use that name at the St. Roch Market in New Orleans that it leases to them.
New Orleans called that building “St. Roch Market” long before the space became a modern, upscale food hall. However, the city may not have trademarked that name (as the folks behind St. Roch Market food hall did). The city is asking that the food hall folks, who operate as an organization called Helpful Hound, lose their trademark on the name. The city also wants all the money Helpful Hound has made operating St. Roch Market in Miami.
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