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If you follow pizza news (and who doesn’t, at least a little), you might have seen the recent stir about “Colorado-style pizza.” A regional style that grew up around Beau Jo’s in Idaho Springs, has its own folklore: thick honey-sweetened crust, massive “mountain pie” edges, and slices you can dip in honey at the end.
Here is the twist. “COLORADO STYLE PIZZA” is not just a description in that story. It is also a federal trademark registration owned by Beau Jo’s for restaurant services.
That combination raises a bigger question I hear from clients all the time:
“I thought place names couldn’t be trademarked. How did this get through?”
Let’s unpack what actually happened with “Colorado Style Pizza” and what it means for anyone considering a geographic brand name. If you require assistance with a trademark case, contact our Michigan trademark branding lawyer today.
What Exactly Is Registered?
The federal registration covers:
- The words COLORADO STYLE PIZZA in standard characters
- For restaurant services in International Class 43
- Owned by Beau Jo’s Management Company
- With a required disclaimer of “STYLE PIZZA” (they do not own “style pizza” by itself)
- And a claim of “acquired distinctiveness” (Section 2(f)) based on long-term use
The registration has been renewed and has an accepted Section 8/15 filing, which means it has reached “incontestable” status on the basic question of descriptiveness. In simple terms: the USPTO has accepted that, for restaurant services, COLORADO STYLE PIZZA functions as Beau Jo’s brand, not just a description.
That is what gives Beau Jo’s the ability to wave a registration certificate around when someone else wants to use “Colorado-style pizza” in the restaurant context.
But I thought place names can’t be trademarks?
The real rule is more nuanced.
The law treats geographic terms in a few buckets:
Primarily Geographically Descriptive Marks
Example: “DENVER COFFEE ROASTERS” for a coffee shop actually in Denver. This kind of mark describes where the services come from. By default, it is refused on the Principal Register.
It can be saved if you prove secondary meaning: that consumers have come to see it as your brand, not just a geographic description.
Primarily Geographically Deceptively Misdescriptive Marks
Example: “COLORADO STYLE PIZZA” for a chain based in Florida with no real connection to Colorado.
Here the geographic reference is false or misleading.
If the geographic claim would matter to consumers, this kind of mark is basically barred.
Geographically Generic Or Style Names
Example: “NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA” or “CHICAGO DEEP DISH PIZZA” as names of widely recognized pizza styles.
Here the term is not about one company. It is understood as the name of a type or style of product tied loosely to a place.
These terms are supposed to be unregistrable as trademarks, because they are generic for that style.
The controversy around “Colorado Style Pizza” is about which bucket it belongs in.
The USPTO treated it as Bucket 1: geographically descriptive for Beau Jo’s restaurant services, but capable of acquiring distinctiveness through decades of use.
Many critics see it as Bucket 3: a style name that should be open to everyone, similar to “Detroit-style pizza” or “New York-style pizza.”
If it is a style name, no one company should be able to lock it up.
Why This Registration Bothers People
From the public story and filings, you can see a familiar pattern.
Beau Jo’s had been using “Colorado Style Pizza” in commerce for a very long time. Their lawyer filed, argued that consumers associate that phrase with Beau Jo’s, and over time the registration matured and became incontestable.
On paper, it is all by the book.
In the real world, though, there are some problems:
Other restaurants in Colorado may want to describe what they sell as “Colorado-style pizza” because that is what customers actually call it.
Many small operators do not want a trademark fight with an established player. Just seeing a registration on the books can scare them away from using the phrase, even in a purely descriptive way.
Over time, that can distort the language, where competitors feel forced to dance around ordinary descriptive words to avoid attracting a demand letter.
The result is a kind of chilling effect that has less to do with what the law technically allows and more to do with the practical risk tolerance of small businesses.
What Rights Does Beau Jo’s Actually Have?
Even with an incontestable registration, Beau Jo’s does not own “Colorado” or “pizza” in the abstract, and it does not automatically control how everyone speaks.
A few important limits:
The registration is limited to restaurant services as listed. It does not cover every possible use in every industry.
Others can still rely on descriptive fair use. That is the doctrine that allows you to use a term in good faith to describe your own goods or services, as long as you are not using it as your own brand.
Incontestability does not protect a registration against all attacks. A mark can still be cancelled if it becomes generic for a type of goods or services.
So, if the market matures and “Colorado-style pizza” becomes widely recognized as the name of a style, rather than Beau Jo’s specific brand, that can support a genericness challenge. That is not a quick or cheap fight, but in some cases, it is worth having.
Lessons For Brand Owners Who Like Geographic Names
What should you take away from this if you are naming a business, product, or restaurant?
1. Geographic terms are not off limits, but they are tricky.
You can build a strong brand around a place name, especially if you serve that region. But expect pushback from the USPTO at the beginning, and expect the mark to be weaker than a purely arbitrary name.
2. Ask yourself: is this a brand or a style name?
If the term feels like “New York-style,” “Chicago-style,” “Nashville hot,” or “Texas BBQ,” then you are probably drifting into style or recipe territory. That is the danger zone where a mark may be generic, or may become generic over time.
3. Plan for the long game on distinctiveness.
If you insist on a geographically descriptive name, you may spend years building the reputation and evidence needed to claim acquired distinctiveness. That can include advertising, press, sales data, and consumer recognition.
4. If a competitor already has a registration, you still have options.
Depending on your facts, those options may include:
- Using the term descriptively with care, not as your brand name
- Tweaking your branding to avoid the precise registered term
- Negotiating a coexistence agreement or consent
- In some cases, challenging the registration as generic or overly descriptive
- The key is not to panic when you see a ® symbol. The right response depends on how the market actually uses the term and how you plan to use it.
The Bigger Policy Question
To me, “Colorado Style Pizza” sits at an uncomfortable edge of the trademark system.
On one side, we want to reward businesses that invest in a regional identity over decades.
On the other, we do not want trademark law to turn into a weapon that walls off entire styles of food or common language.
When the USPTO leans too far toward protecting one player, we get exactly the kind of story that made this case newsworthy: a regional style many people love, wrapped in a trademark that arguably should have stayed on the descriptive side of the line.
Thinking About A Geographic Brand? Talk To Someone Who Lives In This Stuff.
If you are considering a city, state, or regional hook for your name or slogan, it is much better to talk through the strategy before you invest in signage, menus, packaging, and social media.
As The Patent Baron, I help businesses:
- Clear proposed names and logos
- Build realistic strategies around geographic or descriptive marks
- Avoid accidentally choosing something that is generic, unprotectable, or likely to draw a nasty surprise from a competitor
If you are wrestling with a name that includes a place, a style, or a regional identity, contact The Patent Baron PLLC and let’s talk through the options. Sometimes a small tweak can turn a fragile mark into a strong one.
Sources:
Masnick, Mike. “How Trademark Ruined Colorado-Style Pizza.” Techdirt, 19 Nov. 2025.
“COLORADO STYLE PIZZA.” United States Patent and Trademark Office, Reg. No. 2910585, 2025.
Disclaimer:
The information contained herein is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as legal advice. For guidance regarding your specific situation, please consult a qualified attorney.
