Historic Worcester diner fights to keep Harley-Davidson sign
"Her customers come from all over to enjoy the heritage that IS the Miss Worcester Diner and their fondness and love for the [motorcycles], made by Harley-Davidson, also a historical USA company."
For several years, the Miss Worcester Diner has been topped by a hand-painted Harley-Davidson logo surrounded in flames, paying homage to the motorcycle brand loved by the diner’s owners, and its patrons.But a cease-and-desist letter was recently sent to the diner, ordering the iconic sign to be taken down, and now the Worcester community is rallying around the beloved eatery.An online Change.org petition launched by the Worcester Heritage Society is aimed at the motorcycle brand, asking for the sign to be saved. As of about 4 p.m. on Friday, it had over 2,850 signatures with a goal of 5,000.The diner, which sits at 302 Southbridge St., has been around since 1948, and the sign was painted by artist Tony Freitas, according to the petition. It notes that the motorcycle company should see the “true value and reverence of the sign.”“What Harley-Davidson fails to understand wholly is that the Miss Worcester Diner, historical landmark and woman owned business in Worcester, is showing support for Harley-Davidson and her customers come from all over to enjoy the heritage that IS the Miss Worcester Diner and their fondness and love for the [motorcycles], made by Harley-Davidson, also a historical USA company,” the petition says.Riding motorcycles goes hand in hand with the history and culture of the diner, owner Kim Kniskern told the Worcester Telegram and Gazette.“We all ride,” she told the paper. “There’s always bikes in front of the diner. We’re one big riding family.”But Harley-Davidson officials said in the letter that the requested removal has to do with protecting the company’s trademark.“While I do not believe that any wrongdoing was purposeful, if we were to allow this type of use to continue, we would risk losing the value of our trademarks,” the letter said, according to the Telegram and Gazette.The letter said someone took a picture of the sign and emailed it to the company.Freitas, the artist, said Harley-Davidson is beloved by Kniskern and other bikers that go to the diner.“Kniskern is in the Hundred Mile An Hour Club,” he told the Telegram and Gazette. “There’s got to be a hundred of them and they all have 20,000 bikes and they all eat here. Because they love Harley so much. It’s a tribute.”
Harley-Davidson Sends Cease And Desist Letter To Miss Worcester Diner @NickEmmonsTV reportshttps://t.co/UFxuYROEtz pic.twitter.com/2FeYz7FTJw
— WBZ | CBS News Boston (@wbz) January 31, 2020
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