BOULDER — The University of Colorado’s image of Ralphie has once again roamed away from the school’s trademark office — this time on to a sign for a new restaurant.
Art Johnson, who played football for the Buffs in the late 1970s, and his wife are opening up a new restaurant on Monday near Conestoga Street and Arapahoe Avenue called Ralphie’s. A sign visible from Arapahoe features a generic Buffalo and the restaurant’s name is spelled out in a black-and-gold font similar to that used by the school’s Athletic Department.
In June, CU and a Buffs-themed University Hill barber shop resolved a dispute over licensing revenue and the use of Ralphie on the shop’s windowfront.
CU-Boulder spokesman Bronson Hilliard on Friday wouldn’t go so far as to say that the restaurant is in violation of the school’s trademark policies. But, he said, Athletic Director Mike Bohn and licensing director J.T. Galloway will be swinging by the restaurant to talk about the use of the name Ralphie.
