Habanera And The Gringo Has a New, Post-Lawsuit Name

Seek out “Habanera and The Gringo” and you’ll find no restaurant. That’s because the Tex-Mex joint has a new name: Habanera and the Guero.

There was a hubbub — or, more specifically, a lawsuit — over part of the restaurant’s name. 10-location chain Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen sued Habanera and The Gringo over their use of “gringo,” a word used in Spanish-speaking countries or communities to refer to a person who is American, or non-Hispanic/Latino. Gringo’s argued that the use of the word by the mom-and-pop shop could cause confusion — and cited the chain’s 20-year history with the name.

The two parties settled out of court — and the litigation has been “resolved among mutually agreeable terms,” said the restaurant, via Facebook. Habanera was christened with its new name on February 28th.

While the name of the restaurant may have changed, it’s clear that the spirit hasn’t. “Guero” refers to a “light-skinned male,” said the restaurant. So while its name may no longer refer to a “gringo,” they’ve certainly come up with a clever workaround.