Coffee Shop Fights Efforts To Remove Its 'Offensive' Name
A British coffee shop is being ordered to change its name immediately or face legal action.
The South London cafe, called F—offee, is one of three coffee shops owned by London's Brick Lane Coffee –a chain based in London. Earlier this week, the owners received a notice from their landlord's lawyer ordering them to take down the "offensive" sign, for failing to seek permission from the property's owner, according to the website Legal Cheek.
"If you or your Sub-Tenant do not immediately remove the sign about the Property shop front "Fuckoffe, and make good any damage caused to the exterior of the building, our client will have no option but to remove the sign themselves or issue court proceedings seeking an injunction requiring you to remove the sign," reads the letter which also says that the landlord may revoke the lease if the proper measures are not enacted.
On Wednesday, F—offee Tweeted the notice captioning the post "No humour please, we're British."
The shop, which was previously known as Bermondsey Street Coffee, has been operating under the name for over a year. Fans of the local shop have rushed to its defensive, tweeting their support, with one even starting a Change.org petition.
"They [F---offee] have had a few anally retentive and gormless people complain about their name and now they have their money grabbing corporate landlord demand they take the sign down as it is deemed to be "offensive,""reads the petition.
"We, the undersigned, confirm we have a sense of humour and find the continued attack on our beloved Fuckoffee an insult to freedom of expression, freedom of speech and humour."
Local ward councilor Damian O'Brien told the U.K.'s Evening Standard that there have been a "handful of complaints" from neighbors, with some even getting the police involved.
"They [sic] police don't feel that there's enough evidence to proceed," he told the paper. "If the word had started with a C, that would have been an entirely different case altogether...If they'd taken the K away it would have been more clever."
Although O'Brien admitted to liking the coffee shop, he believes the owner is being "ridiculously uncompromising."
The letter gives the shop until Oct. 27 to remove the sign or the tenants will begin measures to remove the sign or start legal proceedings.
This article was originally published on October 23, 2015
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