The only black label burger that matters!
Photo: Yannique Hal
“It’s like comparing a cell phone of the late eighties to the iPhone 4S!” Mark Pastore of LaFrieda tells Grub Street about Wendy’s Black Label Burger, a term the LaFriedas coined exclusively for their supreme Minetta Tavern blend. “What we created for Minetta Tavern is a totally different animal,” he says, no pun intended. “It’s flattering. It doesn’t bother us one bit. Will people get confused? No. Will Wendy’s steal some magic we created? Maybe, but that’s okay.” Incidentally, Pastore plans to try the $5 knockoff and does not plan on suing them, saying that you can’t trademark “Black Label,” a buzz word used by everyone from Ralph Lauren to Johnny Walker and now lady W, that wench!
