A long-brewing feud between two Caribbean restaurants with similar names and logos has escalated into a legal confrontation.
On one side of the conflict is Randy’s Patties, a beloved Jamaican takeout spot that has operated in Toronto for over four decades. On the other side is Randy’s Roti & Doubles, a West Indian restaurant and food manufacturer founded by Randy Kangal.
For close to two years, Randy’s has accused Kangal of using similar branding and signage to market his restaurant and frozen goods, sowing confusion among customers.
Last summer, Kangal was spotted at the Toronto CNE selling food from a bright red trailer flying a Jamaican flag and bearing signage that read “Randy’s Patties.” And just last week, a No Frills supermarket in Toronto posted a TikTok promoting “Randy’s beef patties.”
Now, after multiple cease-and-desist letters were ignored, Randy’s Patties is suing Kangal for $1.5 million in damages, accusing the restaurateur of trademark infringement and “falsely suggesting an association” between the two brands.
In addition to damages, the lawsuit, which was filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on June 9, seeks a permanent injunction restraining Kangal from infringing on the Randy’s Patties trademark to market his goods and services, including frozen goods that are sold at Loblaws and No Frills.
“Randy’s has been a beloved brand in Toronto for 46 years, delivering a patty that is like no other,” Helene Grant, a brand representative for Randy’s Patties, told the Star. “It’s a household name. For someone to just jump in and start using it to sell patties, that’s creating market confusion and it’s a problem.”
Grant said the restaurant has seen a slowdown in traffic in recent weeks, and has received a deluge of complaints from customers who felt they had been tricked into buying an inferior product.
“Imitation is the best form of flattery, but when it borders on illegality it has to stop,” Grant told the Star.
Randy’s Doubles & Roti and Kangal did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Star.
A long history in Toronto
The original Randy’s, known as Randy’s Take-Out, was founded in 1979 by the late Randy Fung, a Jamaican chef and entrepreneur. A family-run bakery at 1569 Eglinton Ave. W., in the heart of Toronto’s Little Jamaica, it drew fans from all over the city for its golden flaky patties.
Over the next several decades, Randy’s became legendary in Toronto’s food scene, a place frequented by local politicians and celebrities, and often featured in the press. Later, it evolved into a community hub for a neighbourhood that was decimated by Metrolinx LRT construction and, later, the COVID-19 pandemic.
In February 2022, Randy’s announced that it was closing its doors, citing the challenges of construction, the pandemic, labour shortages and aging owners. Within days of the announcement, hundreds of people lined up to snag their last box of patties, while hometown hip-hop star Drake suggested he was willing to buy the restaurant.
Last August, after a two-year closure, Randy’s reopened in the same location after a group of longtime customers pooled their resources to take over the business. In April, it opened a second location in the Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto.
An emerging conflict
Randy’s Doubles & Roti was founded by CEO Kangal as a Brampton-based food truck company serving Trinidadian cuisine across Mississauga and the other parts of the GTA. In 2018, Kangal opened his first brick-and-mortar restaurant at 876 Yonge St.
The similarity in name did not become an issue until the summer of 2023, when it emerged that Kangal was operating a food tailer at the Canadian National Exhibition. Photos show that Kangal’s trailer included a bright red sign that read “Randy’s Patties.”
After seeing photos, the Fung family served Kangal with a cease-and-desist letter asking him to refrain from infringing on their trademark.
Grant, the brand representative for Randy’s Patties, pointed out that Kangal started using similar branding and signage at a time when Randy’s had yet to reopen, creating “great market confusion.”
“Everybody loves Randy’s, it’s a household name,” Grant said. “And for someone to just seize an opportunity because the owners had closed it down temporarily, that’s a problem.”
In February, 2024, Randy’s formally registered a trademark for its patties. Though a formal registered trademark is not legally necessary to pursue legal action, it makes a potential legal case stronger.
Months later, Randy’s Patties discovered that Kangal was selling packaged goods at Loblaws and No Frills supermarkets under the logo “Randy’s.” The items included oxtail and curried goat, both of which Randy’s Patties has sold in its restaurant for decades. Grant sent another cease-and-desist letter to Kangal.
Loblaws did not respond to several requests for comment.
In the summer of 2024, as Randy’s Patties was preparing to officially reopen its doors, it applied for a permit to have its own food truck at that year’s CNE. According to the lawsuit, Randy’s did not receive a permit and was advised that “a Randy’s was already at the CNE.”
Soon, photos emerged of a food truck with bright red signage reading “Randy’s Patties.” The lawsuit points out that the trailer was also flying a Jamaican flag, adding to the confusion.
This time, Kangal’s truck caused a stir on social media and forced Randy’s to issue a statement on social media.
“WE DO NOT HAVE A FOOD TRUCK AT THE CNE,” read a post on Instagram. “WE DID NOT GIVE ANYONE PERMISSION TO USE OUR TRADEMARK OR SELL PRODUCTS ON OUR BEHALF A THE CNE.”
In a statement shared with BlogTO at the time, Randy’s Roti & Doubles acknowledged the controversy.
“There seems to be a bit of confusion,” the statement read. “We congratulate and wish (Randy’s Patties) all the best. Everyone is welcome to try our fresh baked patties at the CNE. We both make great products.”
On June 9, Randy’s Patties officially filed a lawsuit calling for a permanent injunction to restrain Kangal from “using an infringing mark or any confusingly similar mark to the plaintiff’s trademark,” and from “using the plaintiff’s registered trademark in a manner likely to have the effect of depreciating the value of the goodwill associated with the mark.”
‘Digging in’
Shortly after Randy’s Patties filed its lawsuit, Grant received an email from an upset customer who said that she bought a box of frozen Randy’s beef patties from No Frills, only to discover that one of the patties had no beef filling. It was simply a shell.
It was through this complaint that Grant discovered that Kangal was now selling beef patties using the logo “Randy’s.”
“He’s digging in deeper and deeper,” she said. “I don’t know who’s advising this guy, or maybe he’s not receiving any advice at all and he’s just bullying his way through this. And we’re going to put a stop to it.”
