Big Time Chef Battles Little Bistro Over Name

What's in a name? If you're Bar Bouchon in Madison, it's a battle over copyrights.

The bistro is being forced to change its name because a well-known chef named Thomas Keller owns the rights to the word "bouchon," according to the Madison Patch.

"A bouchon, in addition to meaning cork or bottle stopper, is simply a French word to describe a very special type of bistro. It would be like trademarking the word 'restaurant'  or 'diner' here in the U.S.," chef & owner Jean Pierre Vuillermet told Patch.

Vuillermet has decided to replace Bouchon with Bouchee, which means "mouthful." The name change will take effect on March 1.

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