The Meatball Shop Slaps ‘Jersey Shore’ Stars With a Lawsuit Over New Merch Line

The Meatball Shop goes after Jersey Shore duo over ‘Team Meatball’ merch

NYC-based restaurant chain the Meatball Shop has filed a lawsuit against Jersey Shore cast members Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi and Deena Cortese over a line of merchandise that allegedly infringes on the restaurant’s trademark rights, Bowery Boogie reports.

Polizzi and Cortese — nicknamed “the meatballs” on the popular show due to their height and Italian heritage — launched a merch site earlier this year that features sweatshirts, t-shirts, and hats emblazoned with slogans like “Team Meatball” and “Meatball Squad.” The restaurant chain issued a cease and desist letter that was ignored, and then filed a lawsuit shortly after claiming trademark infringement. TMZ first reported the news.

The Meatball Shop is seeking a court-ordered injunction to ban further sales of the merch, plus monetary damages. Meanwhile, the merch site is still live and taking orders.

In other news

— Popular pop-up market and subscription box Taste of the Bronx will be opening a permanent cafe at brand new megadevelopment La Central in the South Bronx.

— Socially-distant, outdoor holiday shop Bed Stuy Winter Bazaar is up and running for the month of December. Over a dozen vendors selling items like organic elderberry syrup and antique African furniture have set up shop at Restoration Plaza every Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., until the start of Kwanzaa.

— Hudson Square’s Business Improvement District is sponsoring $2,000 grants for restaurants in the neighborhood to help fund winterized outdoor dining setups. Seven restaurants have applied and received the grants so far, according to a BID spokesperson.

— Acclaimed bar Death & Co is offering to-go holiday cocktail and dessert kits, featuring eggnogs and hot toddies paired with cookies and pies, for $90 apiece. Each kit serves six to eight people.

— Una Pizza Napoletana’s Anthony Mangieri confirms that he definitely will be reopening his renowned Lower East Side pizza shop, despite keeping it closed for the entirety of the pandemic. No word on a firm reopening date yet, though.

— Never skip the steakhouse sides: