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An Arizona restaurateur is suing the owners of an eatery in Florida, accusing them of stealing his idea for a heart-attack-inducing menu.
In the federal lawsuit, Heart Attack Grill owner Jon Basso contends that the pair behind Heart Stoppers Sports Grill in Delray Beach took his concept for a restaurant with unhealthy, cholesterol-raising fare, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.
"Heart Attack Grill is the originator of the medically themed hamburger grill and restaurant," the paper quoted Basso's lawyer, Robert Kain, as saying. "It sells high-calorie food products and we have had very extensive media coverage, including numerous shows on the Travel Channel and the Food Network."
Kain told Slashfood that Heart Stoppers owners Iggy Lena and Bob Kutnick had been in talks to acquire a Heart Attack Grill franchise license before they broke off negotiations. In December, they opened their own restaurant instead. "We think Heart Stoppers infringes on Heart Attack Grill -- the name itself, which is trademarked," he said.
The lawsuit outlines about 30 ways Heart Stoppers is similar, including signs with EKG heart monitors on them, waitresses dressed as nurses and offers of free food to patrons weighing more than 350 pounds. But an attorney for Lena and Kutnick told the Sun-Sentinel that their restaurant isn't the same as the one in Chandler, Ariz., at all.
"It's not the same concept," Eric Lee told Slashfood. "The Arizona restaurant's concept is high-caloric food that is bad for you and will basically kill you ... My guys have a restaurant that is medically themed ... My clients' restaurant seems more like an actual medical facility."
In that vein, Heart Stoppers is festooned with defibrillators, dialysis machines and other medical equipment, has tables that resemble wheelchairs and serves salt and pepper in pill bottles.
Lee said one of the owners is a former paramedic and had the idea for a hospital-themed restaurant. A little research led to a phone call with Bosso.
"They spoke to him on one occasion," Lee told Slashfood. "When they found out that his theme was more food that could kill you and they wouldn't be able to change anything, they went and created this medically-themed restaurant. They weren't interested in doing his theme."
And check out more information about the restaurant from our friends at That's Fit.
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2-02-2010 @1:05AM Vince said... Must be a very slow news day. Why would anyone want to patronize either one of these places?
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2-02-2010 @10:35AM Holly said... This is just tacky and sick,it shows what kind of society we live in when this passes as a "themed"restaraunt.I also love how they perpetuate the myth that anyone who is obese will die of a heart attack(free food for people weighing over 350? WTF?)I seem to see many healthy and slender athletes and just regular folks dying from heart disease and having high cholesteral.What's next? A Cancer Cafe where they serve up hormone laden milk in 100% BPA glasses? SICK
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2-02-2010 @11:30AM Sam the Deaf said... $499 still give me heart attack!
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2-02-2010 @11:34AM mark said... Why doesn't somebody sue both of them for selling unhealthy food? McDonalds has been under fire for that for years. They print on their wrappers what is bad for you, which doesn't solve the problem. The problem is that we live in a suicidal society, that doesn't care about their health. Then we want the free health care to save us when we are about to die ! I say , lets tax the hell out of all these companies (which would pass the evpense on to their unhealthy customers) so that the rest of us would not have to pay for these pathetic MORONS, We charge a high tax on cigarettes, why not unhealthy food?
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2-02-2010 @11:38AM PJ said... Why don't people just stop eating at these places?
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2-02-2010 @11:53AM Frank said... PJ its great food !!!! I eat this kind of food all the time and at home its always steaks burgers or BBQpork with potatoes fried or baked with lots of butter and sour cream!!!!
2-02-2010 @11:51AM chad said... People who do not care about their health should be denied any medical treatment unless it is an emergency, such as a car accident. These people should just die and not be a burden on our health care system.
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2-02-2010 @12:15PM Elwood said... chad one comment for you with you comment I'm given to believe you're one sorry excuse for a human being
2-02-2010 @2:34PM chad said... Well Elwood, you would be completely wrong with your assessment.
2-02-2010 @7:08PM Frank said... Chad the damn truth is other peoples health is NONE of your business plain and simple you idiot!!!!
2-06-2010 @2:12PM LC said... I agree with you, Chad.
2-02-2010 @12:42PM Kathy said... Mark dear this is America and in this country at least for now you have the right to kill yourself with a heart attack if you want to. Big Brother hasn't guite taken away all of our rights. You can't blame the restraunts or fast food places for your bad health problems. You open your own mouth and fill it will all that crap its like blaming tobacco companys for people getting cancer. This country has lost its common since totally lost its common since. No one wants to take responsibility for their own actions no one put a gun to anyones head and said eat all this food that will kill you or smoke all those cigarette that will kill you. But they want to blame someone else when they get sick God help us we are a lazy, dumb, low class of people here in the good old USA
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2-02-2010 @11:58AM Frank said... Chad your already dead of stupidity!!!!
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2-02-2010 @2:28PM chad said... Ignorance is bliss huh. It's the damn truth. I say it how it is. People need to take their health into their own hands. Plain and simple.
2-02-2010 @12:26PM superfan said... it's superbowl time again! time to get out those recipes for that "famous" grilled bacon wrapped sausage roll!
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2-02-2010 @12:25PM Jim Fedullo said... ANYTHING TO MAKE A BUCK! MORE RESTAURANTS CLOSE EVERY YEAR THAN ANY OTHER BUSINESS IN THIS COUNTRY. I KNOW OF DOZENS ALONE IN ARIZONA & CALIFORNIA ALONE. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT 2 RESTAURANTS A COUPLE OF THOUSAND MILES APART, TALK ABOUT THE WORLD GETTING SMALLER, THEY SHOULD SHUT UP AND GO ON W/ THEIR LIVES. ITS NOT LIKE THEY ARE GOING TO STEAL EACH OTHERS CUSTOMERS.
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2-02-2010 @12:57PM AB said... This is sad and disgusting in soooo many ways. Wake up people, if you want to kill yourself with high fat menu items and death on a plate-type options you might as well just shoot yourself!
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2-02-2010 @1:35PM Frank said... AB theirs nothing disgusting about this fabulous food and its not that bad for you thats mostly hype so do the world a favor and shoot yourself you idiot!!!
2-02-2010 @1:51PM poot said... Sounds like the guy at HAG is tasting sour grapes after he lost his chance at franchising these people. Infringement on the name? I don't think so. Why doesn't he sue McDonald's? Their menu is just as unhealthy as his is, I'm sure.
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2-02-2010 @2:19PM robert said... i can use a jumbo jack every now and then. Really, it depends on your physical activity how many burger you eat.
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