Napa Restaurateur Calls Out Pot Dispensary for Filching 'Fumé'
NAPA (KPIX) -- Terry Letson has been the chef and partner of Fumé Bistro & Bar in Napa for 16 years. He says he's worked hard to build a name for the restaurant.
Lately, there's been some confusion. People looking to buy marijuana are calling up his business instead.
"Fumé means smoke ... and that's one of the reasons why we chose the name because it's a culinary term With a wood-burning stove and a wine by Robert Mondavi," Letson explained.
A cannabis dispensary with a similar name, Napa Valley Fumé, just started selling and delivering marijuana products in Napa County.
Letson wants nothing to do with that.
"We can't keep them from using the word fumé but we would encourage them to put a tag line, to put another word -- another description -- and to disassociate us with the product."
KPIX reached out to Napa Valley Fumé but, since they were closed for the holiday, did not hear back from them.
The cannabis company's CEO, Eric Sklar, was quoted in the Napa Valley Register defending the name of his company. He said Fumé is the perfect name for cannabis and that they have a right to use it. Sklar went onto say that, if there is any confusion, he doesn't think it will last long.