- Idaho Fry Company (IFC) last week announced that it will comply with federal trademark laws and change its name to Boise Fry Company (BFC). The decision was made after a series of amicable and ongoing discussions between representatives from IFC and the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC).
Additional elements of the agreement include:
-Idaho Fry Company will change its name to the Boise Fry Company by August 31, 2009.
-BFC will continue to use Idaho potatoes as often as possible in addition to specialty potatoes grown in other states. BFC will also continue to identify potatoes' state of origin on their menu;
-IPC will reimburse BFC for costs associated with the name change.
"At the time the media broke the story, IPC and IFC had already had several communications and were close to a fair resolution," said Frank Muir, IPC President and CEO. "I'm very pleased that we were able to reach an agreement with the Idaho Fry Company that ultimately protects the Idaho potato brand and allows this new restaurant to continue operating its unique business model that uses potatoes from not only Idaho but other states."
"I think both parties started playing defense after the story broke, when in actuality we were only two to three weeks away from a resolution," said Blake Lingle, Fry Proprietor, Boise Fry Company. "We're excited the Commission let us use Boise Fry Company, as it still reflects the restaurant's origin, which was important to Riley and me. We apologize to our customers for not having a name-changing contest, but we felt Boise Fry Company was the next best option. Lastly, we wanted to thank Frank for clarifying some of our funding concerns, and we appreciate that the Commission is still willing to help us offset the costs associated with the name change."
The grand re-opening for Boise Fry Company will be announced at a future date.