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The little local bakery that could, Bisous Bisous Pâtisserie from chef Andrea Meyer, has settled its trademark lawsuit against Kiss, the restaurant formerly known as Bisous in Uptown, from Houston’s Clé Group.
In an update on the bakery’s Facebook page, Meyer wrote, “You may have noticed the restaurant formerly infringing on our name has been renamed and we’re so hopeful that ends all the confusion. Our brand is as strong as ever and we’re grateful to be able to put this whole mess behind us!” She also offered thanks to the bakery’s supporters who gave to the GoFundMe to assist with legal fees.
Speaking to Eater Dallas, Meyer explains that they worked with a mediator to settle the suit, following strong pushback from Clé Group, which refused to change its restaurant’s name until a judge issued a temporary order instructing it to in August of 2021. While Meyer felt confident they could win the suit at trial, it was a cost prohibitive route.
“I’m very happy to be done with the distraction,” Meyer says. “The whole thing was crazy to begin with. We told [the Clé Group] from the get-go don’t do this. They had other restaurant names in the brand to use. It was a full-time job for my husband and I to focus on this, and we couldn’t focus on the business. We’re just trying to make people happy with pastries. Now a weight is lifted and we can focus on the business and customers.”
The disruption for Bisous Bisous Pâtisserie included an initial rush of one-star reviews on social platforms, including Yelp and Google, meant for the other restaurant, as reported by the Dallas Morning News. That extended, well past KISS changing its name, into confusion around deliveries meant for the restaurant and calls about fraudulent charges from credit card companies. Meyer attributes the on-going annoyances to how Clé Group set up the company’s operating name, which she claims remained listed as Bisou well past the public-facing change.
The Clé Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Meyer says the bakery’s GoFundMe only raised around $10,000 and its legal bills are in the six-figures. But, they appreciate the generosity of their patrons. “If anything it helped bolster our spirits in proceeding with what we knew would be an expensive situation,” Meyer says.
