Applause echoed in the lobby of Bennett Gordon Hall after community members spoke in support of Ravinia Brewing Company, and called for Ravinia Festival to drop a trademark lawsuit against the local pub.
It was standing-room-only Thursday night in the concert hall foyer on the Ravinia Festival grounds, as Highland Park residents poured in for the semiannual Ravinia Festival meeting to show support for their neighborhood craft brewery.
At least seven residents spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting to share their distaste for the nonprofit’s litigation against the brewery, some calling it “mean-spirited” and “bullying.” Nearly all the speakers prefaced their comments by sharing their dedicated patronage of both the music venue and pub.
Kris Walker, 47, a resident of the Ravinia neighborhood and co-founder of Ravinia Brewing, said it felt “amazing” to see and hear so many residents rallying in favor of his pub.
“It makes me feel proud of what we’ve been able to build in this community, despite the actions of (Ravinia Festival),” Walker said.
Filed last month in Chicago federal court, the Ravinia Festival, an outdoor concert venue known for its summer music festival, is suing Ravinia Brewing Company, a small Highland Park craft brewery within earshot for trademark infringement.
The lawsuit alleges Ravinia Brewing, a taproom featuring beers and tacos, violated a since-rescinded 2018 agreement to limit the use of their shared hometown moniker.
A statement from a Ravinia spokesperson said the organization shares the community’s interest in having thriving businesses in the neighborhood, but that the brewing company has grown from a local institution to having a downtown location while making music a part of its brand.
“One of our primary concerns with Ravinia Brewing Company, and what makes it different from other local businesses, is their presentation of musical performances and sponsorship of music festivals under the Ravinia name,” the statement said.
The nonprofit association alleges Ravinia Brewing Company failed to comply with the agreement, and more recently, “acted blatantly in disregard of the guidelines, further trading on — and infringing — Ravinia’s well-known registered trademark,” the lawsuit stated.
The suit alleges Ravinia Brewery overstepped by opening a second location in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood in 2021, “still using the name Ravinia, far from Highland Park,” according to the lawsuit.
In addition, the lawsuit alleges Ravinia Brewing has promoted live music at both of its venues, and introduced a music-themed beer, “Key Strokes,” trading on an implied association with the Ravinia Festival, among other violations.
“The reason we filed the complaint is because of Ravinia Brewing Company’s sponsorship of music performance, growth outside of the neighborhood, brand confusion, and disregard of our prior agreement,” a spokesperson from Ravinia said in a statement.
Walker said the brew pub occasionally has a single guitar player on Thursday nights, and pours beers at street festivals around the North Shore and Chicago area.
The Ravinia name itself refers to a 151-year-old community that was annexed into Highland Park in 1899, an incorporation predating the earliest incarnation of the outdoor music festival by five years. Both the pub and music venue are located in the historic neighborhood.
At the public meeting, Mark Gerstein, a trustee for Ravinia Festival and chair of the Community Relations Committee, said Ravinia Brewing is using the goodwill of the festival for purposes beyond the initial agreement, such as associating itself with other music festivals around Chicago.
“We would like to work to find a way with them where they don’t share their mark on music and they don’t share the trademark of the festival in a way that’s damaging to all the good work that Jeff (Haydon) described earlier,” Gerstein said.
“We are not trying to close (the brewery), we have been trying to work quietly with them to resolve this,” he added. “The lawsuit was only brought when we weren’t able to reach an accommodation with them.”
Walker said the festival only reached out recently after the Chicago Tribune discovered the lawsuit in federal court.
“The inconsistencies that they continue to share is a pattern that I’m nervous about,” Walker said. “When they talked about trying to work things out, the entirety of that was one conversation where they expressed their concerns. We provided a suggestion on what we could do to address their concerns. And the next thing we got was a letter that said that was unacceptable without addressing anything specific.”
Before the brewery was able to respond to the letter, the lawsuit was filed, according to Walker.
The 11-count lawsuit includes allegations of trademark infringement and consumer fraud. It seeks to stop Ravinia Brewing from producing and selling beer under the Ravinia brand, force it to recall products from distribution channels and destroy any in its possession. Ravinia Festival is also seeking any gains derived from the sale of infringing products, and undisclosed damages.
According to a statement issued by a Ravinia Festival spokesperson Wednesday evening, the two entities had been in discussions, “about significant and unresolved concerns created by its infringement of our trademarks.”
The festival organization said it remains open to an amicable solution but, “litigation was filed when it became clear the brewing company was not taking our concerns seriously,” the spokesperson said.
Walker said he would love to have a conversation with Ravinia Festival about the trademark issue.
“Just like they committed to the community, a real dialogue not bully behavior,” Walker said.
Jay Djemal, a self-proclaimed regular of Ravinia Brewing, said he thought the issue was resolved five years ago, and that naming rights to the word “Ravinia” doesn’t sit well with the community.
“I’m just so frustrated that the only winners in this are the lawyers,” Djemal said during public comment. “The amount of money paid from the nonprofit, it’s just completely illogical to me.”
Six years ago, Ravinia Brewing was set to open its north suburban brewpub when Ravinia Festival challenged the brewery’s right to share the name of the Highland Park business district made famous by the outdoor concert venue.
First opened in 1904, the Ravinia Festival was initially conceived as a high-end amusement park with a music pavilion, dance hall, baseball stadium and other attractions.
The dispute became public, bringing both sides to the table to hammer out an agreement that allowed Ravinia Brewing to use the name, with certain limitations.
The music festival rescinded the naming agreement in August before taking the matter to court, demanding the brewery stop making and selling beer under the Ravinia name.
Other longtime North Shore businesses are branded with the neighborhood name, ranging from Ravinia Plumbing to the Ravinia Barbershop. The space on Roger Williams Avenue now occupied by Ravinia Brewing once housed the Ravinia Post Office, and is next door to the former home of the Ravinia BBQ & Grill, a family-owned dining staple for three decades.
Neighborhood kids attend Ravinia Elementary School, while many parents commute to work on the Metra from the Ravinia Station.
