A small pizzeria in Monroe Township is feeling the heat from Hollywood — and the timing has people talking.
Last week, Paramount Pictures ordered a local restaurant called The Doughfather to change its logo, saying it too closely mirrors the design from The Godfather film series. Fast forward to today, the studio has announced that it’s preparing to move into a massive new production campus in Bayonne.
Owner Max D’Amico says he was blindsided when an email from the studio arrived last week, demanding that his restaurant stop using imagery featuring puppet strings and a font reminiscent of the mafia movie classic. The design appears on everything from menus to the mural inside the shop.
D’Amico insists the logo was meant as a lighthearted nod to his favorite movie, not a copy of it. They’ve since begun redesigning the artwork to avoid future issues.
New Jersey attorney Francesca Witzburg ESCA Legal, who specializes in intellectual property law, said Paramount’s response isn’t surprising. “When you own a trademark as valuable as The Godfather, you have to enforce it consistently — even against small businesses,” she explained.
Still, locals can’t help but notice the coincidence. Paramount is in the middle of a major expansion in the Garden State, signing a 10-year lease to occupy over 285,000 square feet at the upcoming 1888 Studios complex in Bayonne. The deal positions the company to benefit from New Jersey’s generous tax incentives for film and television production — some of the most competitive in the country.
The $700 million studio campus will feature around two dozen soundstages, an array of postproduction facilities, and a large backlot, potentially making it one of the largest production hubs on the East Coast. Paramount joins a growing list of entertainment giants flocking to New Jersey, following Netflix’s ongoing $848 million development at Fort Monmouth.
“By attracting world-class studios and productions, we are not only creating high-quality jobs, promoting infrastructure, and driving economic growth, but are also investing in our communities and elevating New Jersey as a national leader in entertainment,” Governor Murphy said of the move on Tuesday in a statement.
With Hollywood’s footprint in the state growing fast, some locals wonder if the Doughfather controversy marks the beginning of a new era — one where the glitz and control of major studios might start reaching into even the smallest corners of New Jersey culture.
For now, D’Amico says his focus remains on the pizza, not the politics. The Jersey pizza shop owner said he’ll come up with something new and noted his customers are what matter most.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.