Two Keys owner sends cease and desist letter on trademark of UK campus bar’s name
Apparently there’s only room in Lexington for one “Two Keys” after all.
A lawyer for a group planning to reopen Two Keys Tavern in a new location sent a “cease and desist” letter to a rival planning to open a similarly named bar in the original South Limestone location.
The original Two Keys Tavern, a legendary University of Kentucky campus-area bar, closed in 2020 after 66 years and filed for bankruptcy. But owner Seth Bennett retained the trademark on the name.
Bennett and partners announced on Tuesday that they planned to open a new Two Keys Tavern a block away.
On Friday, Bennett’s attorneys sent a letter to Aaron Hill, who told the Herald-Leader that he planned to open “Two Keys Taphouse” at 333 S. Limestone, the original location of Two Keys Tavern.
“We consider the use of ‘Two Keys’ and any interference to the brand to be a trademark infringement,” Bennett’s lawyer, Kevin Monsour, said in the letter. “We hereby demand that you immediately cease and desist any use of our trademark that will likely cause misrepresentation and consumer confusion.”
Monsour said in the letter that if Hill fails to comply with the cease and desist of the “Two Keys” trademark, Bennett will sue.
The cease and desist letter follows Tuesday’s announcement that Two Keys Tavern will reopen this fall at 385 S. Limestone after filing for bankruptcy and closing in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and loss of revenue. According to a news release, Two Keys Tavern will open this fall with with multiple patios, a rooftop feature and an underground tap room with a hidden entrance that will open this winter.
This story was originally published July 22, 2022 at 3:58 PM.
