Afton
Nelson County, Virginia
Back in November of 2015 we told you about a dispute between Barefoot Bucha and E. & J. Gallo Winery over the use of the word Barefoot in the naming of their kombucha tea.
Today we received the following information from Conscious Cultures, LLC, the owners of Barefoot Bucha kombucha tea”
Conscious Cultures, LLC, owner of Barefoot Bucha kombucha tea, and E. & J. Gallo Winery, owner of the BAREFOOT wine brand, are pleased to announce that they have reached a settlement in a trademark infringement lawsuit. Gallo filed the federal suit in April 2016 due to concerns that consumers were confused by the similarity of the two names. Under the settlement, Conscious Cultures’ owners Ethan and Kate Zuckerman, while not admitting any wrongdoing, have agreed to change the name of their kombucha tea brand. Says Kate, “We have amicably settled our differences out of court. We are relieved to put this behind us so that we can continue to focus on bringing kombucha drinkers in our area a delicious and healthful beverage using a low waste model.”
The company is now looking towards the future by launching an innovative contest to crowdsource its new name. “During the events of the past year, it has been amazing to feel the outpouring of support from our community,” says co-owner Ethan Zuckerman. “As a small local business, our customers are our greatest asset. We would like to honor that by actively involving them in this crucial moment for the company. We are excited to open this up to our community and trust that a great new identity will emerge. We will all be able to look back and say that we did this together.”
The winner will receive a year’s worth of kombucha, courtesy of Barefoot Bucha and the winner’s local Whole Foods Market. Says Kate, “Whole Foods customers have embraced the sustainable values of our refillable bottle model and have been an integral part of our company’s growth over the past five years. We’ve also created successful collaboration brews with several of the stores, so partnering for the renaming contest was another great way for our companies to work together.” If the contest winner does not live near a Whole Foods Market in Virginia or Washington, D.C., or Maryland, an alternate prize will be offered.
Barefoot Bucha is encouraging contest applicants to enter any of the following elements: a name, logo art, and/or tagline. Contest entries can be submitted online at: www.barefootbucha.com/namethatbucha. Full contest details are available on the website. The deadline for submissions is Monday, September 12th.
Barefoot Bucha is a family-owned small business that is known for its innovative, sustainable method of getting its product to the market. The company has set up various fountains in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., where customers can get fresh, Certified Organic kombucha on draft. Customers buy a bottle, which they then own, and can refill as many times as they want. Since 2010, Barefoot Bucha drinkers have saved over 400,000 bottles through the company’s refillable bottle model.
For more information, follow Barefoot Bucha on Facebook or visit http://www.barefootbucha.com
