McDonald’s has lost at least two customers in the San Francisco area. The fast food Goliath has threatened to sue a pair of hopeful restaurateurs if they go ahead with the plan to name their plan to name their small macaroni and cheese-themed restaurant “Little Mac.”

Allison Arevalo and Erin Wade, co-owners of the name-in-limbo eatery, recently quit their day jobs to launch their tiny restaurant. They say they consulted a lawyer regarding the name — the “mac” referring to their signature dish and the “little” referring to the restaurant’s tiny footprint — and were told that, because no one would ever think that their pint-sized establishment was an extension of McDonald’s, they were good to go with the name.

Except, not so much.

Here’s how the Little Mac owners tell things:

We were wrong. A phone conversation with McDonald’s corporate council revealed that any food establishment that opens with “mac” or “mc” in the name is in danger of being sued – even if it obviously does not play off of the global brand. They told us once a restaurant enters their radar, they go after them. And while they may not win in a court of law, we are a small restaurant, with an even smaller budget, and cannot afford the fight.

Rather than attempt a costly legal battle, the pair have opted instead to come up with a new name. Ms. Arevalo is taking suggestions on her personal blog.

McDonald’s Threatens to Sue Oakland Mac and Cheese Restaurant [Oakland Local]

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