The Foodture restaurant is back after legal fight over name
The former Back to the Foodture restaurant will reopen Saturday in Pittsburgh’s Uptown neighborhood. The SouthSide Works location will remain permanently closed.
The temporary closure of both was the result of months of emails with lawyers representing Universal Studios. Universal Studios emailed the owners — chef Angel Magwood and her husband Eddie Barnz — about the use of the name and the logo. It was too close to the title of the 1985 movie “Back to the Future,” starring Michael J. Fox.
So the Monroeville couple on Monday announced a new name — “The Foodture.” They also created a new logo in red and blue with gold stars.
It has been a tough year, Magwood said, but they plan to end it on a high note. She originally wanted to focus on their other businesses — a cleaning company, credit consulting business, potato chip line and clothing collection.
Barnz encouraged his wife to rebrand and start anew.
“He told me that we built this, and that this is our legacy, and we are champions,” she said. “He is right. We both left full-time jobs and invested in this dream.”
At the SouthSide Works location, the lease was up. A Papa John’s pizza will take over that space, Magwood said.
The plan is to open a food truck sometime next summer and possibly a second location the Monroeville area. Franchise options will be available, Barnz said.
The décor will remain the same. The theme of all the restaurants has been a museum-type setting that includes retro items such as an Etch A Sketch, Lite Brite, rotary phone and a manual typewriter.
“We still want to take you back to those childhood days,” Magwood said. “We are old school and will debut some new items in our museum collection when the doors re-open.”
They will eventually be open from noon to midnight seven days a week once staffing is in place, Magwood said. It will be open shorter hours to start.
The menu will still have several burger and wing and salad choices, but will be downsized to accommodate quicker service for people attending nearby concerts and games and events at PPG Paints Arena.
Magwood said the response from customers and supporters has been phenomenal.
When they posted the closure on social media, the responses included plenty of comments urging them to change their name so they can stay open. Customers offered their help.
“They do care,” she said. “And we can’t wait to see them back again.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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