A Chicago-based Poke change has reportedly told poke restaurants owned and operated by Hawaiians to cease and desist if they use the words “aloha” and “poke” in the name. Photo: Shutterstock
Chicago-based poke chain, Aloha Poke Co., is trying to stop other poke shops across the country from using the words “aloha” and “poke” together, and Hawaiians are not happy about it.
According to reports, the company has sent numerous cease-and-desist letters to poke shops across the country since 2016, including one native Hawaiian-owned poke restaurant in Anchorage, Alaska and another in Hawaii. Attorneys representing Aloha Poke Co. claim these poke sellers are in violation of Aloha Poke Co.’s registered trademark.
One cease-and-desist letter obtained by the Guardian was sent to Jeff Samson, co-owner of Aloha Poke Stop in Honolulu, back in January. “Your use of ‘Aloha’ and ‘Aloha Poke’ in promoting, marketing and selling your food products and services is a direct infringement of Aloha Poke’s registered and valuable ALOHA® and ALOHA POKE CO® trademarks,” reads the letter. “Due to the similarity of the marks, the similarity of the goods and services, and a likelihood of confusion in the marketplace, your use of ‘Aloha’ and ‘Aloha Poke’ must cease immediately.”
Samson told the Guardian he could have trademarked the name of his business back in 2016, but thought: “How could you trademark aloha? How could you trademark poke?” Not to mention numerous businesses in Hawaii have some variation of those words in their name.
That a Hawaiian business would be told to cease and desist selling poke, which originated in Hawaii, for including “aloha” in the name of the business, a word with so much meaning in Hawaiian culture, by a Chicago-based company is being called a malicious form of cultural appropriation.
For their part, Aloha Poke Co. denies they are attempting to trademark the words themselves.
“Perhaps the most important issue that needs to be set straight is the false assertion that Aloha Poke Co. has attempted to own either the word ‘Aloha’ or the word ‘Poke,’ wrote the company in a Facebook post. “Neither is true and we would never attempt to do so. Not ever.”
The post goes on to explain, “What we have done is attempted to stop trademark infringers in the restaurant industry from using the trademark “Aloha Poke” without permission. This is a very common practice used across industries, and in particular, in the restaurant industry to protect the use of a business’ name and brand.”
Since being posted Tuesday morning, the post has garnered over 3,000 comments. People especially took issue with the phrase, “We want to say to [those who care about Hawaiian culture] directly how deeply sorry we are that this issue has been so triggering.”
“I ardently hope that your business completely and utterly fails. you people are complete and total morons, clueless asswipes even…You have no aloha, none whatsoever,” wrote Francesco Raneri.
“So you trademarked a key phrase of a culture you are not a part of. Solely so you could be the main capitalist in said ownership. Did you ever stop to think why no one else had done that? Perhaps because it’s a dick move,” wrote Shane Saw Sischo.
A petition started by Kalamaokaaina Niheu on Change.org calling on Aloha Poke Co. to cease and desist themselves has already garnered over 42,000 signatures since it was posted on Monday.
