Pizzeria takes on fast food giant

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American chicken chain KFC has warned a small Carnoustie pizzeria owner to change the name of one of her dishes as they have trademarked the phrase.

A letter was sent to Titanic Pizza Co asking them to take the Family Feast off the website and destroy all menus.

Owner Marie Fagan said they had been using the term to describe their meal of pizzas, garlic bread, chips, onion rings and a juice since 1992.

KFC has more than 11,000 restaurants in about 80 countries.

Its Family Feast features 12 pieces of chicken, four portions of chips, coleslaw, beans and a drink.

Documents sent to Titanic said that the phrase has been trademarked by KFC in 1994 and 2003.

Ms Fagan claims Titanic has been using the term since 1992, when they operated in Dundee.

She told the BBC Scotland news website that she was "gobsmacked" when she received the letter.

We do not want, or envisage legal action, and we hope to reach an amicable solution KFC spokesman

"There was the initial letter and then there was a proper legal document we had to sign saying that we would destroy all menus and all flyers and give them to them to prove that we had done so," she said.

"We just sent them a letter saying we weren't going to be bullied and we worked hard to build up our business.

"We're just a tiny 15 by 20 foot shop in Carnoustie and we're not a threat to them."

Ms Fegan has now placed the letter from KFC's lawyers and her reply in the window of the shop and said customers could not believe it.

She said: "It's just playground bullying. You know there's such crazy stuff going on in the world just now and have they not got anything better to do?

"It is two words out of the dictionary, I don't think it's fair that they should own them.

"We have been doing it longer, we're no threat and we've not copied them in any way."

A spokesman for KFC said: "Like any business, we have to protect our trademarks.

"In this case, we have simply written a letter requesting that Titanic changes the name of one of its menu items as we own the trademark to use it.

"We do not want, or envisage legal action, and we hope to reach an amicable solution."

Two years ago, a pub in Yorkshire was also warned to remove the family feast from their menu, but the American fast food giant later backed down.