Win 'A Cool $100' By Renaming Zoupwerks

owner Randy Durant needs a new name for his new Acorn Alley eatery – and he's turned to the public for ideas. He's even offering "a cool $100" to the person who suggests the "winning" name.

Durant got more than 119 responses in the first two hours after posting the following message Thursday afternoon on his Zoupwerks at Acorn Alley page on Facebook:

Okay kids-we got the word. We have to alter/change/replace the Zoupwerks name. A certain national soup franchise has politely requested the change, and we are going to co-operate. Now, the fun part: taking suggestions for the re-naming. The most creative accepted (non-infringing) name will get the creator a cool $100.00, and braggin' rights right here on FB. You may begin!

As of 3 p.m. today, Durant had received more than 154 suggestions ranging from creative to funny to lame. Several people submitted multiple ideas, which Durant encourages.

"Submit until you get callouses on your fingertips," he told the eatery's Facebook followers.

Durant is asking area residents to "dig deep down" and come up with some really creative, off-the-wall suggestions for renaming his "funky soup and chowdah joint."

"I want something that pushes the envelope. If it offends somebody, chances are I'm all for it," he chuckled while sitting in his tiny Kent office Friday. You could almost see his mental gears turning as he tried to come up with obscure, attention-getting names.

Leading the way so far, by Facebook vote, are "Son Of A Bisque," "Bisquey Business" and "The Groovy Spoon."

There's a little problem, though, with The Groovy Spoon: it's already taken by a company in California. Also already in use somewhere in the U.S. are suggested names such as The Soup Place, That Soup Place, Soup's On, Chowda House and Souper Bowl.

Durant told his Facebook fans Thursday that "anything good will be submitted to our trademark attorney to determine eligibility." That's what makes this renaming thing tricky, he said today.

When Durant founded his first Zoupwerks in Ithaca, NY, eight years ago, he had no idea that another soup restaurant with a simliar name – not the same name – had already been operating in Michigan for about six years.

Durant brought the Zoupwerks name with him when he moved to Ohio about five years ago and established his new restraurant in Champion. He expanded the business by opening Zoupwerks at Acorn Alley II in late October.

He recently got word from the not-the-same-name soup company, now a national chain, that they'd like him to stop using Zoupwerks.

"My trademark (lawyer) and my business (lawyer) said I should look at it as a compliment, saying 'If you weren't significant, they wouldn't care,'" Durant explained.

So, Kent Patch readers, you're now officially included in Durant's zany Zoupwerks renaming contest. Either head to the Zoupwerks at Acorn Alley Facebook page and post suggestions there, or post them in the comments section below.

Want to keep your ideas out of the public eye? Durant will gladly take suggestions via email at randy@zoupwerks.com.