Norman Chan is the proud owner of a small diner in Las Vegas, where he serves up the “best eggs benedict in town.” However, his joy is being overshadowed by a legal battle with a Southern California chain with a similar name. The 12-table diner, now known as NORMan’s Diner, has been at the center of a multi-year dispute with NORMS Restaurant, a chain looking to protect its trademark.
Chan was first approached by NORMS Restaurant in 2021, receiving a cease and desist letter demanding that he change the name of his diner from NORM’S to something else. Facing financial struggles post-pandemic, Chan complied and changed the name to NORMAN’S to appease the chain. However, the legal battle continued when NORMS Restaurant claimed that the lowercase “an” in “NORMan’s” was still infringing on their trademark.
Despite Chan’s efforts to resolve the situation, NORMS Restaurant remains unsatisfied and has threatened legal action once again. The chain’s CEO visited the diner personally, expressing displeasure with the signage and insisting on further changes. Chan, feeling overwhelmed and unable to afford ongoing legal battles, is left wondering what the future holds for his beloved diner.
