Naugles Comeback Even Closer to Reality Thanks to Key Trademark Ruling

Naugles–the legendary Mexican fast-food chain that for Southern Californians who grew up in the 1980s was their manna–is one step closer to returning thanks to a ruling by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

See, all those Naugles pop-up restaurants we wrote about were NOT endorsed by Del Taco, the company that bought out Naugles in the 1980s and technically had the copyright to the Naugles brand. Challenging their trademark with those restaurants was Christian Ziebarth, one of the first food bloggers in OC, and a Naugles fanatic. How fanatical? He challenged Del Taco's hold on Naugles copyright, arguing the fast-food giant let it lapse. And…Ziebarth won, meaning a Naugles comeback is closer than ever.

HELL YA!!!

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See our slideshow of a Naugles pop up event right here!

You'll have to wait until next Thursday for the full story, as it really is an amazing tale of David versus Goliath and a mysterious menu. In the meanwhile, Ziebarth isn't resting easy.

“What this news means is that Del Taco's registration of the trademark will be canceled,” he says. “Now my registration gains precedence. Once we show it to be in use (which we already sort of have) then we can get my registration finalized. There's a chance Del Taco can appeal, but maybe the new owners won't want to bother.”

And how does he feel?

“To quote James Brown, 'I feel good.' Then I imagine Han Solo saying to me, “'Great, kid. Don't get cocky!'”

Email: ga*******@oc******.com. Twitter: @gustavoarellano.

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