Is New Kennewick Food Park Trying to Copy Beloved Tri-Cities Brand?
If you have seen advertisements for a new Fat Cat Food Park being built in Kennewick, you might be surprised to find out who is NOT partnered with the project.
New Fat Cat Food Park Sign in Kennewick
I saw the new Fat Cat Food Park being advertised in Kennewick and went to congratulate the owners of El Fat Cat Grill located less than a block away. El Fat Cat has been making amazing food in the same Kennewick location at 539 N Edison St since 2011 and has won the "Best of Tricities Favorite Food Truck" for 8 years in a row. Turns out they are not partners or affiliated at all and have been getting a lot of questions from customers.
Original El Fat Cat Grill Wants to Avoid Confusion
The owners and founders of El Fat Cat Grill, Jenny and Felix, just want to make sure people are not confused with the Fat Cat Food Park being created about a block down Edison in Kennewick. "Our original location is the only place you can get the food you know and love made with that El Fat Cat quality." They don't want customers to be disappointed or confused with a product they have no affiliation with just down the street. They've built a big local brand over the last twelve years so you can understand why they'd want to protect it. "We can not control what they do," they said, but they are concerned with the confusion it might cause. They just want the word to get out they are not involved to avoid as much confusion as possible.
What is Causing the Food Truck Confusion?
The first thing I noticed was the black, red, and white "Fat Cat" logo and how similar it was to the original El Fat Cat name. The letters are even slanted the same. It was so similar I thought it was El Fat Cat when I drove by. The other interesting fact is that the current owner of the new Food Truck Park used to own the car wash that is now Mr. Car Wash for years. He sold it to Mr. Car Wash and then bought the property behind to build Fat Cat Suites and the planned Fat Cat Food Park. Any business in that area is aware of how successful El Fat Cat has been over the last 10 years observing long lines most of the day. Is this just a coincidence or is there something more to it? What do you think?