Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 3:34 PM
Food and Drink
By Kirsten Palladino
Win $500 to help The Grange pick a new name
<a href="http://www.thegrangepublichouse.com/">The Grange Public House</a> in Decatur is being forced to change its name in the face of legal action from The National Grange, a long-standing agricultural advocacy organization. What's the new name? Well, the family-owned Irish pub is looking to the community for ideas with a contest from now through Nov. 7. Winner gets $500.
The press release I received states that the restaurant and bar is "putting its resources towards the pub rather than engaging in a draining legal battle – despite family owners’ assertion that no confusion or cross purpose exists between the two entities."
The release continues below:
The name “The Grange” was personally selected by the Comer family before establishing the pub, which bridged their heritage to their new lives in Atlanta. A Grange was often a hub of the community, and the Comers grew up beside a Grange (now called Marley Park) in Dublin, so the moniker holds personal meaning by bringing a bit of Dublin to Atlanta.
In light of the current circumstances, the Comers are taking a novel approach to the renaming of their family-owned pub by soliciting name suggestions from their loyal customers and friends.
“Renaming an establishment isn’t something that any business owner would want following a brilliant first year in the community,” remarked Jennifer Comer, one of the proprietors of the pub. “But rather than fight a group intent on blocking the use of the name ‘The Grange’ in any form, even if operating in an unrelated business space, we decided to take a higher road and not only change our name, but ask our loyal patrons to help us come up with something even better. After all, what our friends in Decatur have shown us is that it’s not our name, but rather our place in the community that defines us.”
The Decatur pub has amassed a sizeable community following thanks to its family orientation and ever-improving menus. It has also established a reputation for supporting local events, charitable organizations, cycling and sports teams, as well as local artists.
Solicitations to “Rename the Grange” will be taken through November 7, and can be submitted now via the website www.thegrangepublichouse.com. $500 in “Renamed Grange Cash” will be awarded for submitting the winning entry. The pub will announce its new name later in the year in a celebratory fashion.