There's no room for Squares.
New York restaurant mogul Danny Meyer has fired a legal warning at the yet-to-open Lincoln Square Steak, insisting that it's too similar to his popular Union Square Café, The Post has learned.
Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group — the owner of Gramercy Tavern, The Modern and Shake Shack among other establishments — sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Upper West Side restaurant on Wednesday, claiming the new eatery infringes on its trademark.
"While we can't comment on a legal matter, the striking resemblance between that logo and Union Square Cafe's should be rather apparent to just about anyone," USHG said in a statement.
The legal shot comes just days before Lincoln Square Steak, a 140-seat meat palace at 208 West 70th St., is set to open its doors on Thursday.
Union Square's chief legal officer, Kathie Lee, followed up the letter with a phone call to Lincoln Square Steak, whose ownership, Cosmic Group LLC, has in turn retained high-powered law firm Phillips Nizer.
Lee asked that the restaurant's name, menu and logo be changed because they were too similar to those at Union Square Café, according to Don Evans, a consultant for Lincoln Square Steak.
"I have a high regard for Danny, but I think he is over-reaching this time,'' Evans said. "Kathie Lee said that not only was our logo too similar but that our menu also was.
"I pointed out that their logo is red and white and ours is red and black, that Union Square Café is a downtown spot with a New American menu featuring one steak, and Lincoln Square is on the Upper West Side with nine different types of steak," he continued.
"She said we both had pasta on the menu; I said that was one of the silliest things I had heard in a while. I'd like to invite Danny and his team to our opening so they can see how different we are.''
Lee also told Evans that the word "square" would have to go.
"She said using the word 'square' was a violation of their trademark,'' Evans said. "I pointed out that the restaurant resided in Lincoln Square and that the Lincoln Square Theater is few blocks away.''
Meyer has a reputation as a hard-nosed businessman. He plans to close Union Square at its current location this year and relaunch it at a new spot — blaming skyrocketing rent for the planned closure after a year of negotiations with the landlord.
USHG maintains that people might confuse the two places.
"Kathie Lee said if people walked by they would think it's a Union Square affiliate,'' Evans said. "We've had hundreds of people walk by since we put signage up six weeks ago, and not a single person has asked us if we have any affiliation with Union Square.
"We are not going to change anything."
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