Des Moines bar owners settle dispute over 'Draught House' name

Former Des Moines business partners have settled a lawsuit over the right to use the "draught house" name.  

Steve McFadden has changed the name of his Draught House 50 locations to Grumpy Goat Tavern.

His former partners, Tom and Annie Baldwin, will keep the 1908 Draught House name on their four bar/restaurants.

The Baldwins and McFadden opened the first 1908 Draught House together in Johnston in 2013. The name was a tribute to the Chicago Cubs, who at the time had last won a World Series in 1908.

But the business partnership crumbled in 2014 after claims of physical altercations and disagreements over how their joint businesses were being run, according to court documents.

► MORE:Former business partners battle over downtown St. Patrick's Day block party

McFadden transferred his interest in the 1908 Draught House business and agreed not to compete for two years with a bar or restaurant within two miles of the Johnston location, according to legal documents.

McFadden opened his first Draught House 50 location on 50th Street in West Des Moines in 2014 and another on Mills Civic Parkway, also in West Des Moines, a year later.

Meanwhile, the Baldwins have added three more 1908 Draught House locations in downtown Des Moines, Waukee and West Des Moines. 

The Baldwins filed a lawsuit in August 2016 contending the similar names confused customers and created "a false affiliation." They pointed to other similarities between McFadden's establishments and their 1908 Draught House locations, including general layout, a garage door that separates the bar from the patio, color scheme, number and placement of televisions and chalkboards to advertise daily specials.

McFadden argued that "draught house" was a generic name used to refer to any business that serves beer from a tap or keg and not a protected trademark. 

The lawsuit was settled in the fall and McFadden renamed his two Draught House 50 locations to Grumpy Goat Tavern late last month.

McFadden said he could not discuss the confidential court settlement that prompted the name change, but he acknowledged that “there was some confusion” as both owners opened more locations.

He recently opened a third Grumpy Goat location at 810 E. First St. in Ankeny. The 6,700-square-foot building can accommodate 350 people and includes a rooftop bar and patio.

A fourth Grumpy Goat is set to open this spring at 1303 Walnut St. in downtown Des  Moines, he said.

McFadden said he plans to open several more Grumpy Goat Taverns but did not reveal locations or a schedule for expansion.

In addition to his Grumpy Goat locations, McFadden owns Tipsy Crow in downtown Des Moines and Mickey’s Irish Pub & Grub in Clive.

The Baldwins own four 1908 Draught House locations as well as Annie's Irish Pub and Magnolia Wine Kitchen in downtown Des Moines, Peggy's Tavern near Drake University, and Wellman's Pub, Shotgun Betty's, The Irish and Blu Toro, all in West Des Moines.