[EVG photo from November]
Little Joe's Pizza opened back in November at 26 First Ave. just south of East Second Street.
Upon visiting the pizzeria, the nice folks there said that they previously worked for the venerable Joe's Pizza.
It turned out that Little Joe's owner's husband Sergio worked at Joe's for 13 years … and there wasn't any official connection to Joe's.
So perhaps to clear up any confusion between the two...
On Saturday, an EVG reader received a Facebook notification that Little Joe's had changed its name to Little Gio's …
The change had been made on the pizzeria's website as well…
… and the new sign/awning is in progress…
Little Joe's or Gio's, we like their slices…
Updated 5:44 p.m.
Apparently there was much more to the name change.
Eater reports:
According to Joe's Pizza owner Joe Pozzuoli, Jr. he sent several cease and desist letters to Little Joe's, but all were ignored. "To protect our brand and to limit confusion, we took legal action," Pozzuoli tells Eater, "and the court granted us a preliminary injunction" against Little Joe's. The latter is banned from using the word Joe in "any manner" as it relates to operating a pizzeria, under the threat of having to pony up a $5,000 security bond, in addition to any settlement.
H/T EVG reader Matt!
Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Little Joe's Pizza now serving up slices on 1st Avenue
