The phrase “a tavola” means “come to the table”
Perhaps someone should have let Francis Ford Coppola know about this common phrase before he went ahead and sued the owner of Tavola Italian Kitchen restaurant in Novato, California, claiming the name infringes his “a tavola” trademark used to market his eateries. Francis Ford Coppola Winery and restaurants in San Francisco and Napa Valley have used the “a tavola” trademark since 2008. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued the trademark last year, according to the complaint (“a tavola” means that diners at Coppola’s restaurants are not given menus and served family-style dishes). Coppola’s company claims Tavola Italian Kitchen’s infringement is “likely to cause confusion” with Coppola’s trademark, especially because it is located 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Coppola’s winery. Tavola Italian Kitchen’s owners, however, claim that “a tavola,” which means “table” in Italian, is a completely generic word and that Coppola is attempting to trademark the Italian language.
