Mystic Pizza Sues Mystic Pizzeria

Mystic Pizza, the Mystic, Connecticut pizzeria that inspired and provided the backdrop for the 1988 film of the same name, has a bone to pick with one Mystic Pizzeria. Mystic Pizzeria—the -ia suffix is crucial here—is located in Pennsylvania. The owners of O.G. Mystic Pizza have filed a lawsuit against Mystic Pizzeria, Connecticut newspaper The Day reports, alleging cybersquatting, trademark infringement and unfair competition, and trademark dilution. This is shaping up to be our favorite food-and-beverage related lawsuit since Huge Ass Beer v. Big Ass Beer.

The suit claims the Pennsylvania restaurant is deliberately associating itself with Mystic Pizza and attempting to confuse customers by using "Mystic Pizza" on its website. The Pennsylvania pizzeria's URL is mysticpizzeria.com, but its Google results and its Yelp page say Mystic Pizza. The Day reviewed the lawsuit and said the original pizzeria's trademark prohibits others from "using the Mystic Pizza Mark(s) or confusingly similar versions." Apparently, Mystic Pizza owners John and Christos Zelepos did reach out to Mystic Pizzeria to ask them to cease their "infringing conduct," but the Mystic Pizzeria owners have not done so to Zelepos' satisfaction.

In other Mystic Pizza news, the Mystic Pizza music foretold by 30 Rock will actually come to fruition. Deadline reports Melissa Etheridge has signed on to create the stage adaptation of the film, which only serves to make us really hungry for an anchovy pizza.