UK restaurant chain responds to latest backlash over ‘Pho’ trademark

U.K.-based chain Pho Restaurant has issued a statement in response to renewed backlash over its trademark of the word “Pho.”

About the trademark: Founded in 2005 by Stephen and Juliette Wall, Pho Restaurant trademarked the words “PHO,” “Pho” and “pho” in the 2000s as part of their branding efforts. The couple, who fell in love with pho during a trip to Vietnam, said they filed the trademark to protect their restaurant’s identity. They first faced backlash in 2013 after reportedly forcing Mo Pho, a smaller Vietnamese-owned business, to change its name due to infringement. In a video posted over the weekend, TikToker @Iamyenlikethemoney called attention to the issue, reviving criticism against the company.
What the company is saying: Pho Restaurant addressed the latest controversy in an Instagram post on Thursday, saying that its trademark has been “misunderstood.” The chain stressed that it “would never attempt to trademark this dish” and that “phở” — Vietnam’s national dish and how it is spelled there — “doesn’t belong to anyone but the people of Vietnam.” The company responded similarly in 2013, saying they only trademarked “the restaurant name, not the dish” after they “came under attack by a large U.S. chain restaurant” that sought to enter the U.K. In their recent statement, Pho Restaurant further clarified that their trademark does not limit other businesses to use “phở” in their names and denied suing Vietnamese businesses.
Reactions: Despite Pho Restaurant’s attempts to explain its stance, social media users remain outraged. One Instagram user alleged that their business was among those targeted back in 2013. “The absolute LIES in this post. You would ‘never attempt to trademark this dish,’ yet I was one of the MANY independent Vietnamese restaurants targeted by this restaurant chain and their IP lawyers in 2013. Badgered to change our branding,” they noted.

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