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Bruckner Bar and Grill Changes Name After Lawsuit

By Eddie Small | October 14, 2014 2:38pm
 The Bruckner Bar and Grill has changed its name to the Mott Haven Bar and Grill.
The Bruckner Bar and Grill has changed its name to the Mott Haven Bar and Grill.
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DNAinfo/Eddie Small

MOTT HAVEN — The popular Bruckner Bar & Grill restaurant has changed its name to the Mott Haven Bar and Grill in the wake of a legal fight with the previous owner, according to staffers and lawyers.

According to landlord James Giddings, bar and restaurant owner Rosa Garcia decided to change the name at the venue at 1 Bruckner Blvd. — which took effect last week — in order to avoid further legal battles with former co-owner Alex Abeles. 

Abeles, who had a financial falling out with Garcia in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, filed a trademark infringement suit against the restaurant in December 2013, according to court records. In September, a judge gave the eatery 30 days to stop using the brand name, according to Abeles's lawyer Ari Abramowitz.

Garcia could not be reached for comment.

Manager Joseph Diaz said he could not comment on the legal issues behind the switch. But he said the changes were also prompted by a desire to display some neighborhood pride.

"We just want people to know that Mott Haven is here, and this is a great part of The Bronx," said Diaz, adding that the changes took effect last week. "This is up and coming."

Along with a new name, the newly named restaurant also has a new menu, including a quinoa black bean burger and a brunch wrap consisting of egg whites, quinoa, spinach and Israeli salad, staffers said.

The menu has been the same for 11 years, and regular customers had been asking the restaurant to make some changes to it, according to Diaz.

DIaz stressed that the restaurant is still the same at heart and will continue the legacy of the Bruckner Bar and Grill.

"We want to represent the South Bronx," he said. "We just needed the change."