The dueling Dino’s have gone to court.
There’s Dino’s Italian Food, a 46-year-old Lakewood institution at West Colfax Avenue and Kipling Street.
Then there’s Dino’s Pizza, which opened Oct. 2 on Santa Fe Drive in one of Denver’s art districts.
And now there’s a lawsuit filed by the proprietors of the original Dino’s, claiming rights to the name and a reputation to protect.
The suit wants the new Dino’s ordered to change its name, saying it is taking advantage of customer confusion.
The Lakewood Dino’s was founded by Dino DiPaolo and his wife, Jeannene, in 1961. DiPaolo is now semi-retired, and his daughter, Judy DiPaolo Duren, runs the family-style Italian eatery.
Duren believes the restaurant is the heart and soul of her family. She said that the use of her dad’s name by another local restaurant is upsetting to her and her 77-year-old father, the child of Italian immigrants who came to Denver in 1901.
“He is a little old man,” Duren said. “He hates to spend the money on the lawsuit. We’d rather spend it on new equipment. But it’s like we don’t have a choice – it’s our livelihood.”
On the other end of the controversy is 25-year-old Dino Mario Marchig, who says his family has been in the restaurant business in Denver for more than 35 years. His mother and grandmother had three restaurants apiece, including Pappas Pizza and Chavin’s. His uncle owns Benny’s Place at 301 Seventh Ave.
Marchig said he had no idea about Dino’s in Lakewood or that he would have any trouble operating a pizza pickup-and-delivery place named after him. He wants no problems, he said.
He said DiPaolo came to his small shop twice to eat. During the second visit, the two men compared their menus, talked about their backgrounds and got along just fine, Marchig said.
“He (DiPaolo) seems like a very nice guy,” Marchig said. “I have a lot of respect for him for what he did. He told me what he’s been doing. We went over his menu. Our menus are totally different. The only thing that we have the same are pizza.”
During that second visit, DiPaolo suggested Marchig could change the name of his place.
Marchig, who said he is considering doing so, added that his attorney told him he probably doesn’t need to make a change because he’s using his own name.
Marchig said his mother and grandmother have given him advice. “They are saying, ‘Try to resolve this as quickly as possible.”‘
In the meantime, DiPaolo would like to see his restaurant continue until he dies. Duren said the family received an offer for the property a couple years ago.
But she said her dad couldn’t stand the thought of a bulldozer obliterating his restaurant.
As far as Marchig’s place is concerned, DiPaolo suggested a new name during his second visit: Mario’s Pizza.
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
