The Rusty Krab, a new restaurant in downtown Houston with a $24 admission fee, has got ViacomCBS lawyers crabby. They say the venue bears an unacceptable similarity to The Krusty Krab, the fast-food eaterie featured in Nickelodeon’s Spongebob Squarepants.
The Texan restaurant infringes on trademarks by using names, images, characters, and re-creations from the show across its dining area and menu, according to legal documents seen by TMZ. It sells alcoholic cocktails with names that apparently reference Spongebob Squarepants, such as Bikini Bottom Blast and Pineapple under the Sea, which ViacomCBS says would violate its licensing policy for the kids’ show.
The Spongebob theme is flaunted by the restaurant, whose website asks, “Are you a True Spongebob Fan?” Photos on its social media show diners posing with a character performer in a Spongebob costume.
