There are two seafood restaurants named "Thanh Suong" on Tran Phu Street, Nha Trang - Photo: MINH CHIEN
Ms. Tran Thi Thu Hien, Chief of the Office of the People's Committee of Nha Trang City, said that the inspection team from the City's Department of Culture and Information conducted an inspection of the "Thanh Suong" seafood restaurant at 102 Tran Phu Street, following complaints from the press and tourists. They are currently compiling a report to submit to the city for action.
Customers eating at the "knockoff" restaurant complain about the real one.
Ms. Dang Thi Thu Suong, owner of Thanh Suong restaurant (15 Tran Phu Street), said that the group of customers, led by Mr. Cuong (the person who posted the complaint on social media on March 31st), had booked a table at the restaurant on the evening of March 30th, but later canceled because they went to another restaurant.
Thanh Suong Seafood Restaurant is facing a real headache with many places copying its name - Photo: MINH CHIEN
"My restaurant has been in business for almost 10 years, selling at the correct local prices and not paying any commissions to taxi drivers. Therefore, when tourists want to eat at my restaurant, they are often taken to 'fake' restaurants, which usually pay substantial commissions to taxi drivers and rickshaw drivers. When customers are dissatisfied or overcharged at these restaurants, they complain to our restaurant, which is a real headache for me," Ms. Suong said.
According to Ms. Suong, Thanh Suong restaurant was granted a trademark certificate by the Intellectual Property Office on May 12, 2022, with a validity period of 10 years. Previously, she had submitted applications to relevant authorities regarding the handling of restaurants using her name as a "copycat" or "impersonator," but the matter has yet to be resolved.
"I often post information about the official address and remind customers to go to the right restaurant. I hope the authorities will soon intervene to protect customers and the reputation of the restaurant," Ms. Suong requested.
As of the morning of April 7th, Thanh Suong seafood restaurant at 102 Tran Phu Street was closed. Less than two shops away, there was another seafood restaurant named Thanh Suong. The proliferation of Thanh Suong restaurants along Tran Phu Street creates a maze for tourists, making it difficult to identify the real one.
Register the restaurant name in one place, but put the sign in another.
The seafood restaurant "Thanh Sương" at 102 Tran Phu Street closed on the morning of April 7th - Photo: MINH CHIEN
Mr. Nguyen Phi Hong Nguyen, vice president of the Khanh Hoa Tourism Association, said that the practice of copying and imitating brands is quite common, especially in the service and travel sectors.
Therefore, businesses should register their trademarks for protection. Only then will they have sufficient grounds to file lawsuits and request action against businesses that infringe on their trade names.
"We advise tourists to thoroughly research restaurants and hotels on official information websites such as the Khanh Hoa Tourism Portal (nhatrang-travel.com), the Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa Tourism Association (ekhanhhoa.com) to find reputable restaurants and hotels, or to ask in travel experience sharing groups," Mr. Nguyen shared.
A representative from Market Management Team No. 1 stated that at 102 Tran Phu Street, in April 2023, authorities had previously fined the establishment 20.75 million VND for numerous violations. Specifically, the owner displayed a sign that read "Nha Be" while the business registration certificate listed the name as "Thanh Suong," thus failing to fully reflect the registered business name on the sign.
The restaurant's registered name is "Thanh Suong," but the accent mark on the sign is almost invisible, easily deceiving tourists - Photo: MINH CHIEN
"The sign for this establishment says 'Thanh Suong,' but the accent mark is hidden and obscured because it matches the background color. The City's Department of Culture and Information will investigate and handle this," a representative from Market Management Team No. 1 informed.
According to the reporter's observations, both the "Thanh Suong" restaurant at 102 Tran Phu and the nearby "Thanh Suong" restaurant have the accent mark "Thanh Suong," but the accent mark is too small and blends into the background color. Tourists have to concentrate and strain their eyes to see it clearly, so it's easy to get confused.
Mr. Le Anh Van, director of Quoc Te Taxi Company, said the company has contacted and apologized to customers, and the three drivers accused of taking customers to the wrong restaurant are currently suspended from their jobs. These three drivers committed a serious offense by taking customers to the wrong location as requested.
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