David Chang, Michelin chef behind Momofuku, is accused of 'trademark bullying' ... trends now
The famous founder of Momofuku, a food empire that boasts renowned restaurants around the world, has been accused of 'trademark bullying' and of trying to conquer the condiment market.
Celeb Chef David Chang, who previously starred in his own Netflix series, Ugly Delicious, has drawn the ire of small competitors, who are accusing him of waging a harsh campaign to dominate the chili crisp condiment market.
The chef's company has reportedly sent cease-and-desist letters to rivals using the words 'chili crunch' or 'chile crunch' on their condiment labels.
They have been given 90 days to drop the words from their labels.
Momofuku claim they have issued the letters to protect their Momofuku Chili Crunch sauce, which they describe as 'a spicy-crunchy chili oil' that 'features an umami base.'
David Chang is a celebrity chef who is currently appearing in a Hulu series with Chrissy Teigen. His company, Momofuku, is being accused of being a 'trademark bully'
The company issued cease-and-desist letters ordering small businesses to remove any language on their products containing the words 'chili crunch' or 'chile crunch'
Momofuku boasts restaurants in New York City, Boston, Washington D.C., Boston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Toronto, Ontario, and Sydney, Australia; pictured Momofuku 207 in the East Village
Other entrepreneurs, however, see the action as part of a large and vicious legal strategy with the goal being to stamp out competition.
Although Momofuku doesn't currently own the registered trademark to 'chili crunch,' they began the filing process with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on March 29.
The filing process usually takes about 12 to 18 months, and does not guarantee that the company will receive the trademark.
The company does own the trademark rights to 'chile crunch,' which was registered with the USPTO in 2023 as part of legal settlement with Chile Colonial, LLC.
Chile Colonial had taken legal action against Momofuku for 'trademark infringement' and 'unfair competition,' before the case was resolved in court.
Michelle Tew, the founder of Malaysian food brand Homiah, is one of the competitors who received the cease-and-desist letter.
The letter allegedly stated that Momofuku was the sole 'owner of all trademark rights' for condiments with the words 'chile crunch' or 'chili crunch.'
The letter informed Tew that her food product, the Homiah Sambal Chili Crunch, which is based on her family's recipe, was a trademark infringement.
Momufuku was concerned that shoppers could confuse a bottle of Homiah Sambal Chili Crunch with a bottle of Momofuku Chili Crunch, despite the two condiments having dramatically different labels.
Tew told the Guardian that she felt betrayed by Chang and described receiving the letter as 'a punch in the gut.'
She said that Chang, who is of Korean descent, had helped shepherd Asian food into the mainstream food scene.
'If Kraft Heinz hit me up [with a cease-and-desist letter] it would have been distressing,' Tew said. 'But the fact that it was Momofuku makes me feel really, really sad.'
Caleb Wang, owner of Seattle-based MìLà, also received one of Chang's cease-and-desist letters.
Wang and his wife and co-owner, Jang Liao, had decided to
