You say Bandito's, I say Batidos: Two Ann Arbor restaurants too similar in name?
I recently returned from a long trip where language barrier was a real issue for me. Learning the differences between similar-sounding foreign words became utterly important as I attempted to wrestle with Swiss German for four months in 2010.
So I have a little empathy for Ann Arborites who are struggling to differentiate between two downtown Ann Arbor restaurants with similar names.
Frita Batidos is the still-new creation of much-loved chef, Eve Aronoff. The food at Frita Batidos is Cuban inspired with a heavy dose of fresh and local ingredients. According to the restaurant website, the name is inspired by two menu items that are traditional Cuban fare. The site defines the two as follows:
The frita - a Cuban burger made from spicy chorizo served with shoestring fries on top in a soft egg bun and batidos - Tropical milkshakes made with fresh fruit, crushed ice and a drop of sweetened milk - with or without rum.Aronoff acknowledges that the name is tricky to pronounce and hard to get used to. She almost settled on a different Spanish name that reflected the community behind the restaurant — Equipo (meaning team), a decision that would have been more favorable to Ann Arbor restaurant owner Ken Sing.
Bandito's (meaning bandits) has been serving its California-style Mexican fare to students and townies in Ann Arbor for 20 years.
Sing says he has not had any increase in business since Frita Batidos arrived on the scene.
“We only have 15 tables, so… I’m not trying to complain much, but running a business is already tough, then this happens.”
Sing says his area of South Fourth Avenue feels like” Ann Arbor’s adopted child.” The area is often neglected, as he says his is the only business on the block open after 5 p.m. Much of his revenue comes from doing fund-raising dinners for nonprofit and community organizations, where he donates 25 percent of the profits to local charitable groups.
When asked about what he would consider a good resolution to this problem, Sing gives a frustrated sigh. He has not looked into his legal rights, but is considering it. He's tried to reach Aronoff, but so far hasn't connected.
He just wants some awareness of the difference, so that he can serve his customers under his established brand without a taint of market confusion.
“I don’t even know," he said about what he can do about it situation. "Unless I change my name... (and) I’m not going to do that.”
Angela Smith is a retail contributor for annarbor.com. She enjoys both Mexican and Cuban style foods, second to her new international favorite food, Swiss chocolate.
Comments
HereSince74
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 4:38 p.m.
Banditos has the most flavorful, freshest salsa I have *ever* tasted - not too spicy, not too salty, full of fresh ingredients (as are all of dishes). And served with freshly fried and often still warm homemade tortilla chips! Try the shredded beef and tell me it's not among the tastiest you've ever experienced! To hear people complain that their food is bland is just ridiculous - what are these people eating? The shredded beef quesadilla is like heaven on a plate. With sour cream. :-) If you have young kids and want a reasonable and fast meal downtown, you can eat at Banditos for less than $30 for four. We always go there after a trip to the Y or the Hands-on-Museum. Most lunches are under $10 with drink and tip, and now that they have a liquor license, it's also great for a leisurely evening out with adults. And Ken is never stingy with chips or salsa, so you can linger in what I consider to be the nicest "local" business in that area. Good luck to Eve and Frita Baditos but I'll be at Banditos enjoying the food, atmosphere and service.
suddenlyseymour
Fri, Feb 11, 2011 : 12:19 a.m.
Well here's the differences between Sava and Seva... Seva on Liberty and spelled with an "E" Sava's on State and spelled with an "A" Sava's is named after its owner. I'm not sure how someone can be blamed for using their own name especially when there are absolutely no similarities between the Sava's and Seva menus. Seva is strictly vegetarian. Seva has been open since 1973. Sava's (in the Zanzibar location) has been open for a little over a year. Sava's supports local organizations, including the Michigan theatre, Neutral Zone, UMS, etc.. etc... haven't seen Seva, Eve, Frita Batidos, or Banditos anywhere. I could go on and on, but you get the point. Never seen so many haters in my life. This wasn't even an article about Sava yet people come from nowhere with foolish comments. Not sure what is wrong with someone young and ambitious, busting her butt and succeeding in this town - some of you must have nothing better to do than trolling these comments. Disclaimer - I'm actually sitting at Sava's bar having a drink. 10-20 people waiting to get in. I don't know of any restaurants in town that are this busy, let alone on weeknight.
a2girl
Wed, Feb 9, 2011 : 6:50 p.m.
I realize this is redundant but I have to say the first time I read about Eve's new place I did think "Frito Bandito". I guess I'm just showing my age. For those of you too young to remember, the ads ran in the late 60s and early 70s and had a very catchy jingle. I'm sure you can find it on youtube. My apologies to people who are offended by this, but it is difficult to get these tunes out of one's brain.....even 40 years later. That is the object of the advertiser.
bugjuice
Wed, Feb 9, 2011 : 2:42 p.m.
Sava's is named after the owner. Seva comes from the Indian language referencing food and service. Where's the confusion?
ShadowManager
Wed, Feb 9, 2011 : 3:15 p.m.
Between an a and an e.
citrus
Wed, Feb 9, 2011 : 4:17 a.m.
Well, you know, at Banditos they serve "to-may-toes and po-tay-toes" and at Fritas Batidos they serve nothing less than "to-mah-toes and po-tah-toes."
Wystan Stevens
Wed, Feb 9, 2011 : 1:42 a.m.
Unless I am mistaken, Ann Arbor's legendary Blimpy Burger filed no complaints when a branch of Blimpies (a sub shop) opened on East Liberty, several years ago. Today, the former "Krazy Jim's" still surges along, but Blimpies has vanished from the landscape.
a2miguy
Wed, Feb 9, 2011 : 3:45 p.m.
"The FORMER Krazy Jim's?" Nothing former about it. I was there just last week.
Bill Sloan
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 11:06 p.m.
Many years ago the psychologist Abraham Maslow suggested that one way to assess the quality of life in a community is to look at what the residents complain about. He called them "grumbles" -- low level grumbles, and high level grumbles. Low level grumbles are, for example, about trash accumulating in alleys attracting scores of rats, or high rates of crime. High level grumbles, for example, might be worrying about confusing restaurant names, or what to do with one of a city's two public golf courses. Ann Arbor must be in great shape!
Lola
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 9:36 p.m.
I happen to love Bandito's food but then I'm not as pretentious as most Ann Arborites. I must ask, what's with the obsession with this Eve person? This has got to be the fifth article I've seen about her and her restaurants in the last month. Isn't there anything more interesting going on in Ann Arbor? No, I guess not.
Lovaduck
Wed, Feb 9, 2011 : 5:40 p.m.
Yes, does she have some connection to someone at Ann Arbor.com? I thought the same thing. Why is she so important? I left A2 in 2006 and never heard of her. I consulted a "foodie" in town who still lives there and loves good restaurants and he barely heard of her? I know that's only anecdotal evidence---but why is she so important? (I have nothing against the woman at all, it's just curious).
bugjuice
Wed, Feb 9, 2011 : 2:38 p.m.
You have such a high opinion of yourself compared to those other pretentious Ann Arborites.. just a little smug.
spm
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 9:55 p.m.
She was on Bravo's "Top Chef" last season so she's kinda our local celebrity...
ShadowManager
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 8:35 p.m.
The best solution for Sing would to be serve better food at a better price point. I don't know anyone who eats, or wants to eat, at "Banditos" because their food is far too bland and flavorless to worth a trip there unless by mistake or to try it out once. The place is always empty when I walk by too.
rusty shackelford
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 8:51 p.m.
Exactly. It *might* be worth it at half the cost.
rusty shackelford
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 8:24 p.m.
If the names are similar, that's where the similarity ends. Unless Eve switched to serving schlocky "Mexican" food overnight. I agree with the Sava's fiasco. I guess the owner's vanity trumped any other consideration. They seem to be trying to brand themselves as "Sava's on State" now.
Bob Martel
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 8:04 p.m.
I do not find the names confusing, in my mind I think of Eve's place as "Frita's!" As far as Ken Sign is concerned, my heart does go out to him, but not because of any name confusion. Rather, that particular block of downtown has been "dead" for the thirty years that I've lived here. Back in the day, there were some Adult Bookstores (remember those?) on that block and across the street, and any proper Ann Arborite avoided the entire block as a result. Those bookstores seem to have jinxed that part of downtown ever since.
duran321
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 7:03 p.m.
This is like night and day. If I misplaced the comma in a note that read "Let's eat Grandma!" Instead of "Let's eat,Grandma!" R.I.P. grandma?........ seriously this is much to do about nothing!! He can not blame Eve for his poor business. Step up your game if you need to Banditos!!
Lovaduck
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 5:22 p.m.
Rob, You're SO right; but both names conjure up the hated (in the Southwest where I live)stereotypical images of the Frito Bandito ads of yesterday--just as Ann Arbor's former SAMBOS was hateful to African-Americans. It's not the end of the world, and I'm going to be called PC, but it's just a regional difference. I'm NOT suggesting censorship. It just seems that better names could be chosen for both establishments, despite the Cuban food origins of the first. It's just when you say it out loud to English speakers it STILL sounds offensive. But enough of this already, I promise to say no more on this issue!
free form
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 5:21 p.m.
Getting confused with Frita Batido is the best thing that could happen for Banditos. The Seva/Sava problem is ridiculous though. The owner of Sava's should been able to see that issue coming!
seldon
Thu, Feb 10, 2011 : 4:11 a.m.
Well, it is her first name, so I can see why she wanted to use it.
bedrog
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 4:48 p.m.
'liver' vs' lover'...ah what a difference a letter makes. On a more geoplitical level than local restaurants , all should be aware that recent stringent anti- public flatulence legistlation has been passed in MALAWI ,(se africa) but you're still good to 'go' in MALI ( nw africa).. A traveling friend was concerned until i set him straight.
magnumpi
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 4:39 p.m.
only on aa.com could people act superior because they don't get restaurant names mixed up, lol. the sava/seva thing can cause problems, not a bad idea to mention location or Sava--where Zanzibar used to be, etc..
Ryan J. Stanton
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 4:27 p.m.
I remember there being a debate over use of the names B & C Pizza and B.C. Pizza in Bay City back in 2005. In a consent decree from a Circuit Court judge, the newer B.C. Pizza was forced to change its name to Best Choice Pizza, clearing up any confusion with B & C Pizza, a Bay City pizza parlor since 1979. The name change applied only to two Bay County franchises, while the B.C. Pizza name remained on 30-some restaurants elsewhere.
spm
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 4:26 p.m.
I find myself calling Eve's place Frita Banditos just because it seems to roll off the tongue easier so I guess I could see people calling it that and getting it confused with Banditos. Does seem like Seva and Sava have much closer sounding names, but frankly I didn't even know about Sava until a week ago or so. Frita Bats (I like that!) has gotten much more press.
a2miguy
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 4:08 p.m.
But seriously, folks. One place is called Bandito's. The other is FRITA Batidos. They are just not that similar at all.
Ryan J. Stanton
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 4:08 p.m.
More on name confusion — I and a couple other people went to meet up with an old friend for lunch last year at Sava's. After he was about 30 minutes or more late, we realized he was at Seva. Unfortunately he had already ordered because he was in somewhat of a hurry to get back to work. I'm now more deliberate about saying the location of the place I have in mind, not just the name. I think that's the solution here, but for some people it's going to take that first "oops" moment.
a2miguy
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 3:59 p.m.
REALLY? How can people confuse these two? I mean, there's Red Hawk and Red Robin, which are more similar in name and no one's confusing those (or are they?).
Edward Vielmetti
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 3:56 p.m.
I've had the Sava/Seva problem before (and was 20 minutes late for a lunch meeting as a result).
ArthGuinness
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 3:48 p.m.
I eat at both, and I prefer to call the new place Frita Bats which rolls off the tongue a bit easier. In any case, I think and hope the confusion will be short-lived as the locals will know the difference soon enough.
braggslaw
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 3:10 p.m.
Likelihood of confusion is the standard. Trademarks are governed by state common law and Federal Law(Lanham Act). I would presume neither registered their trademarks with the USPTO therefore state common law would be applied. Thus, the test would be whether non-spanish speakers are confused by the similarity in the marks.
David Briegel
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 3:09 p.m.
It is only confusing to the less literate amongst us.
Kristina Birk
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 2:15 p.m.
Eve and Ken will be hearing from Frito Bandito shortly.
Rob T
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 1:49 p.m.
The solution to this problem is for more people to learn Spanish. Getting 'banditos' and 'batidos' mixed up is like confusing 'snakes' and 'shakes.'
Sallie Kochin Abelson
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 11:46 a.m.
Funny that you didn't mention the similarity between Seva anad Sava in this article as they are really close and confusing.
BHarding
Tue, Feb 8, 2011 : 11:33 a.m.
This is no one's fault. Banditos is easy to remember, and it has been around for a long time. I'm sure a lot of people will want to try Eve's new place, and it is just a matter of remembering the name correctly. I'm surprised Banditos hasn't picked up more customers just due to the fact that his restaurant is suddenly more visible. So many more cars are driving down 4th ave. because 5th ave. is closed.