Mad Dough

[SydenhamOwl]

Something is happening in the former Golden Grill kebab shop site next to ProGas (corner of Kent House Rd).

There is a sign in the window advertising something called 'Mad Dough' which says it is Italian street food and coffee and cakes. Not entirely sure if it is going to appear in that shop as haven't seen any planning applications. Nevertheless sounds like it could be good.

[RJM]

Would they need planning permission if it's not a change of use? (I know very little about planning permission)

They have a website! https://www.maddough.co.uk/

[admin]

looks like it will be a great addition to Sydenham!

[SydenhamOwl]

Looks great. Hopefully it won't get into a trademark dispute with Mama Dough.

[alywin]

I fear they most likely will: similar goods and services, and very similar name. I'd go for them if I were Mama Dough.

[El Cid]

I hope they will do well, but they will be up against it. The restaurant business is one of the hardest to succeed in, as Sydenham demonstrates. Just recently, Shirin in the high street has closed down, as has the waffle place on Kirkdale. And I can't work out how the sushi restaurant (the one with the funny name that no one can pronounce) in Kirkdale is still going. It's always empty. These are just a few examples. There have been others over the last few years.

I think to succeed you have to excel at quality food at a reasonable price, top class service, and be in a good location. It's not enough to have slick web site with enticing photos and make claims about how fantastic/original/quality-driven etc you are. If your marketing doesn't match what you deliver, you will soon get found out. The Greyhound and Rafaelle's deliver, as does Nando's (if you like that kind of thing). And Cobbs Corner (previously Blue Mountain) can always be relied upon.

The pizza market is saturated, as, along with burgers, it's the easiest food to offer. But good luck, Mad Dough. You will need it. Not a great name, but I doubt Mamma Dough will be chasing you for any kind of brand infringement. You will need to focus on much more important things if you are going to survive.

[SydenhamOwl]

I fear they most likely will: similar goods and services, and very similar name. I'd go for them if I were Mama Dough.

Not too dissimilar font and branding too.

[JRW]

Say the name out loud, and it is quite unlike Mamma Dough. Can't see the problem really.

I agree with a lot of what has been said, and it is a very, very cramped site. However, I think they have a good chance, given their opening hours. They are opening at 8am, and will do very well on the coffee and cakes all day, and continue through the evening till late.

Most of the struggling businesses are trying to survive on the proceeds of either day trade or evening. All the cafes close by 5pm, and try getting a cup of tea in Lower Sydenham any time. The cafes have all become chicken shops, or converted to other uses.

Maximising the use of a commercial site by having shifts of staff rather than one person's working day, has to be the way to go, imo.

[syd]

I hope they will do well, but they will be up against it. The restaurant business is one of the hardest to succeed in, as Sydenham demonstrates. Just recently, Shirin in the high street has closed down, as has the waffle place on Kirkdale. And I can't work out how the sushi restaurant (the one with the funny name that no one can pronounce) in Kirkdale is still going. It's always empty. These are just a few examples. There have been others over the last few years.

Hibagon is a foodie place that does authentic possibly world class Japanese food. It you haven’t tried it I suggest you must as soon as possible. The is delicious and the tempura crisp and fresh it’s a proper hidden gem

[Sydenham Syd]

Completely agree about Hibagon.

[AlexF19]

I fear they most likely will: similar goods and services, and very similar name. I'd go for them if I were Mama Dough.

I don’t get to see any similarities between mamma dough and mad dough, there are many businesses with the trade name “dough” at the end. Similar goods and service? Not at all. Mamma dough sales just pizzas, Mad Dough is a coffee shop with Italian street food and Neapolitan pizzas. I don’t get the similarities

[AlexF19]

I fear they most likely will: similar goods and services, and very similar name. I'd go for them if I were Mama Dough.

Not too dissimilar font and branding too.

It’s a completely different thing to me, I can’t see any similarity really. The branding and the services are different plus “Mad” and “Mamma” have nothing to do with each other. The word “Dough” has been used in many trade names. Find out

[alywin]

I fear they most likely will: similar goods and services, and very similar name. I'd go for them if I were Mama Dough.

I don’t get to see any similarities between mamma dough and mad dough, there are many businesses with the trade name “dough” at the end. Similar goods and service? Not at all. Mamma dough sales just pizzas, Mad Dough is a coffee shop with Italian street food and Neapolitan pizzas. I don’t get the similarities

You're thinking about it from a commercial point of view: I'm looking at the trademark point of view, which is basically that they both fall within the classes of foodstuffs and restaurant services, have the same second word and only the second syllable difference in the first word. If the font is similar as well, then I would be quite concerned.

[alywin]

Just checked: foods-wise, Mamma Dough have limited it very strictly to pizza products, but services-wise they're registered for:

"Cafés;Cafeteria services;Catering services;Coffee shop services;Fast food restaurant services;Fast-food restaurants;Food preparation;Mobile restaurant services;Pizza parlors;Preparation of food and beverages;Preparation of meals;Provision of food and drink;Provision of food and drink in restaurants;Provision of information relating to restaurants;Restaurant services;Restaurants;Pizza parlors."

Could indeed be tricky, I think.

[AlexF19]

I doesn’t really make sense to me. I could say that Mamma Dough has copied Made of Dough according to your way of thinking (or viceversa) and Firezza has copied Purezza?

[mosy]

What's wrong with just wishing Mad Dough well? It's hard enough setting up a business as it is without creating unfounded anxiety.

[Parker1970]

What's wrong with just wishing Mad Dough well? It's hard enough setting up a business as it is without creating unfounded anxiety.

[carty]

Here we go again, knocking new businesses.

Welcome Mad Dough to Sydenham!

[mosy]

Brilliant Parker1970 especially if it gets the message across. It would be fanciful I know, but with a Mad Dough logo Photoshopped in the air punch they'd probably adopt it

[El Cid]

Regarding Hibagon providing "world-class Japanese food", all I know is that any time it's open there's virtually no customers eating there, and they're always advertising for staff.

I admit I haven't eaten at Hibagon, or ordered a takeaway, and I recall when it first opened six or seven years ago it had rave reviews on the forum.

But my sense is that thing musts have gone down hill since then (this happens a lot with restaurants). Otherwise why do so few people eat there.