Indie cafe in Brixton takes on hedge-fund backed coffee chain over name

Family-run Blank Coffee in south London launches legal challenge saying US Blank Street Coffee is trying to copy its ‘vibe’

A family-run vegan cafe in Brixton has launched a legal challenge against the London expansion of a big US coffee chain seeking to rival Starbucks, claiming its “highly similar” brand was causing reputational damage to its “indie vibe”.

The David and Goliath trademark dispute sets south London’s Blank Coffee, owned by Warner Newman, 34, and Samantha McKinson, 32, and their popular plant-based cinnamon buns, against Blank Street, a New York brand whose owners are funding their expansion plans with the help of venture capital.