A city judge has put an end to Gristedes bid to cop Trader Joe's' name and look.
With the opening of Trader John's just a day away, a Manhattan judge ruled that the name -- and the red lettering -- were too similar to Trader Joe's, the new darling of the New York supermarket set, reported the New York Post.
Gristedes had recently retooled its 14th St. location with a new sign reminiscent of Trader Joe's, but with a subtle name change.
"Of all the possible names . . . he just had to pick the name of a store a few blocks away with a long line of people outside," said Joe's lawyer, Dale Cendali.
Gristedes' lawyer Larry Weinstein tried unsuccessfully to argue that no one would mistake John for Joe because the new store wouldn't be selling any of Joe's house brands.
