This week’s BL Business Branding Newsletter digs into a deli dispute. D.C.-based “Jew-ish” deli chain Call Your Mother has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against New Jersey bagel shop Call Your Bubbi, arguing that the shop’s branding is a little too similar for comfort.
In the restaurant world, companies are constantly searching for the perfect recipe to stand out. From nostalgic callbacks to comfort-food storytelling, they rely on memorable branding to keep customers coming back for another bite. So what happens when two businesses look alike, and customers can’t tell whose bagel is whose?
Filed in November 2025, Call Your Mother’s lawsuit alleges that Call Your Bubbi’s name and circular logo, featuring its lettering wrapped around a bagel, leaves customers confused. Call Your Mother, which has been rising steadily in popularity since 2018 and now has 18 locations, holds registered trademarks for both its name and its round, rotary phone-themed logo. The complaint argues that both names share the same structure and tap into similar familial warmth, since Bubbi is a Yiddish term for grandmother, resulting in a nearly-identical commercial impression.
Co-owner Andrew Dana said he learned about the New Jersey shop when friends spotted it while traveling and assumed the beloved D.C. brand was expanding north. After noticing similarities across the shop’s website and social media — including the tagline “If Mom says ‘no,’ Call Your Bubbi” — Dana attempted to reach the owner for months without success. Eventually, a cease-and-desist letter was sent. When the Bubbi Bagels team didn’t change course, the matter escalated into a full-on legal schmear. The New Jersey shop, which uses both Call Your Bubbi and Bubbi Bagels branding, has not commented publicly and did not respond to calls.
What Can Businesses Learn From This?
This bagel-busting trademark battle is a reminder that brand overlap doesn’t always come from knead-ing to copy; sometimes another company can end up with branding surprisingly close to yours by accident. Whether it’s intentional or not, these similarities can toast customer trust and create costly confusion, which is why consistent trademark monitoring is important.
For entrepreneurs and growing businesses, the case also highlights the importance of doing your research before settling on a name or logo. A thorough trademark search helps ensure you’re not accidentally spreading your brand into someone else’s territory. It’s not just exact matches that matter – similar phrasing, structure, visuals, or emotional tone can all raise red flags.
Have questions about how to protect and elevate your company’s brand? Contact our BL Trademark Team by reaching out to Seth Berenzweig at sberenzweig@berenzweiglaw.com today.