Chapter 16 — Tomorrow's Kitchen

Man launched the new menu at six o'clock in the afternoon, right when the House Kitchen started taking the evening shift.

The photo appeared on Khoi's phone screen: a cream-colored lunch box, the corner of the box printed with the image of a roof, below was the line "Tomorrow's Rice — from Bep Nha's kitchen". The full meal portion was changed to "Enough Meal", priced at thirty-nine thousand, nearly double the portion at the restaurant.

Customers make mistakes in the first ten minutes. A person called to ask if Nha Kitchen would deliver. A person came to the counter, placed a photo on his phone next to the restaurant's menu and asked why the servings here were smaller than advertised. A student said she placed the box over there because she thought Nha Kitchen opened a branch.

Vy received the call and explained that the shop had nothing to do with it. The other person said: "The logo is the same, the name also has Kitchen House, why say no?"

Khoi held the phone. Man is using a similar name, not using the fully registered logo, but the story and images are taken from what they have made public.

“Do they have the right to use it?” Ha asked.

Hanh, a lawyer, said on the call: "It is necessary to check trademarks, trade names, and advertising content. Do not post accusations when there is no evidence of infringement."

“But the customer is wrong.”

"So announce the difference accurately. Don't use the phrase 'counterfeit goods' if you don't have a conclusion yet."

Vy took the board and wrote three lines:

HOME KITCHEN — BAR AT HOA AN MARKET AREA.

TOMORROW'S RICE — ANOTHER UNIT, NOT A BRANCH OF THE BAR.

CUSTOMERS CAN CHECK THE ADDRESS AND PRICE BEFORE BOOKING.

Lan's mother read and added that "open formula" is not a proprietary name. Khoi looked at her. “Do you want them to use it?”

"I don't want anyone to use the restaurant's story to mislead others. But the food is not the key."

“They sell the same thing as theirs.”

"Every kitchen has braised fish, tofu, and seasonal vegetables. The difference is how people call their names and say where they come from."

Khoi does not completely agree. The name “Home Kitchen” was in the contract with Man. If he hasn't signed to buy it, is using a similar name a way to force them to accept the offer?

Man called at night. “I saw your notification.”

“I need you to remove the phrase ‘from the Home Kitchen’.”

"It's true. I used to work there, you used to work there."

“Customers understand that it is a branch.”

“I wrote down the store address.”

"Insufficient."

Man sighed. “You want me to change my name completely?”

“I want you not to mislead people.”

“I am selling a model inspired by Home Kitchen. There is no clause prohibiting me from telling my experience.”

"It's not forbidden to tell. It's forbidden to act like you're representing the shop without the authority."

Min is quiet. “If you sign, everything is clear.”

“This is not the time to force.”

"I didn't force it. I just opened the door. If you don't come in, don't blame me for doing business."

The call ended. Khoi wanted to throw the phone, but he knew his anger wouldn't make the contract clearer.

The evening shift was more crowded because the article about the debt table and the vegetable incident made many people curious. Some customers came to support, some came to see if the restaurant really lives up to the hype. Khoi did not want to turn customers into spectators, so he told the staff to serve normally and not tell stories unless asked.

A girl ordered a full meal and asked: "Is this the Kitchen dish that was taken by the other party?"

Ha replied: "This dish comes from many people's suggestions. The shop records the names of those who want to be recorded."

“The other side said the family recipe.”

“You can ask them who did it.”

The girl looked down at the board. “Here it is real contributor?”

Khoi showed her the green book, but covered up the names of guests who did not agree. She read the line that said "rice according to ability" and ordered more soup. Before leaving, she put some money into the meal fund.

Khoi realized the best way to differentiate between the two places is not to say the other is bad. It is to clarify what this shop is responsible for.

The next day, Hanh sent the search results. Bep Nha Kitchen already has a registered trademark for food service, but the mortgage addendum to the bank limits the right to make changes. The name “Tomorrow Rice” has not been registered. The phrase “from the Kitchen Kitchen” is likely to cause confusion, but it is necessary to prove that the customer was in fact mistaken and the user knew it.

Vy created a form to receive feedback. Do not encourage customers to curse Man, only write down the time, address, photo, wrong content and transaction.

In three days, they received seventeen complaints. Six people mistakenly ordered it because they thought it was a branch. Four people only said the dish had the same idea. Seven people were not mistaken but saw the advertisement close to the shop.

Khoi gave the data to Hanh. She said it's enough to send a request to correct information, but not necessarily enough to sue.

“What if Man removes that phrase?” Khoi asked.

“The remaining name is still competition. You need to decide what you want to protect: your name, your image or your right to tell your origin.”

Khoi looked at Ha. “What do you want?”

“I want the recipe to have a name, I don't want people to say it came from a one-man kitchen.”

Lan's mother said: "I want the restaurant to not be bought by anyone and lose its way of treating customers."

Vy said: "I want the contract to not force the shop to ask permission from any party when changing the way they do things."

Binh said: "I want them not to use my vegetable photos to advertise without asking."

Mr. Sau said: "I want someone to fix the fan."

Khoi wrote down each thing. No one says “I want to win”.

Hanh composed a letter to Man, listing the points that needed to be corrected: remove misleading phrases, do not use photos or stories that can identify customers, clearly state that the store is not part of Bep Nha Kitchen, do not call the dish a family recipe if there is no identifiable source. Man responded after a day, agreeing to remove the phrase "from Bep Nha's kitchen" but keep the sentence "inspired by market meals".

Ha said: "That sentence is still our sentence."

Khoi replied: "No one owns the market meal."

“But they own how to sell it.”

Man sent an additional proposal: if Nha Kitchen signs a non-exclusive cooperation, Tomorrow Rice will pay a fee to use the name in introductions, support the meal fund and not sell food portions higher than a certain level.

Vy asked: "What does non-exclusive cooperation mean?"

Hanh explained: "Both sides use some elements, but the brand rights must still be clear. Otherwise, customers will continue to make mistakes in the future.”

Khoi did not want to cooperate with Man when they were arguing, but he also knew that Man had the ability to deliver food to many people. The House Kitchen cannot consider growing up as a betrayal. The problem is whose right to grow up is.

They invited Man to a meeting at the restaurant. No dinner, no filming. Each party has a paper copy.

Man came alone. He listened to the feedback and did not deny it. “I don't think customers will be so wrong.”

Vy asked: "Have you checked before running the ad?"

“I thought another address would be enough.”

“The confusion didn't go away on its own because he saw he had written down the address,” Hanh said.

Man nodded. He looked at Khoi. “I can change my name, but I lose my recognition.”

“That recognition comes from where?"

“From the story you guys created.”

"Are not. From the people in the kitchen who created it.”

Man smiled sadly. “You still think you can separate the story from the business.”

"Are not. I think business has to say rightly who is in charge.”

The meeting lasted long. Finally, Man agreed to change the name to "Man's Kitchen — Tomorrow's Rice", remove photos of ingredients and not mention Nha Kitchen in the advertisement. He proposed to keep the "Meal just enough" dish, but write it as a separate version.

Ha asked not to use the phrase "family recipe".

Man said he would change it to "a recipe developed by Man's kitchen team".

“Yes if you write down the names of the people who actually developed that version,” Ha said.

Man looked at her. “I could say ‘inspired by home kitchens’.”

Ha did not continue to argue. She knows she cannot force others to call correctly without a contract.

Khoi said: “We did not sign a cooperation agreement. But I agree to a document confirming two independent units."

Man asked: "You don't want money to support?"

“Don't use money to exchange silence.”

“I still want to support the meal fund.”

“Contribute like a business person, clearly stating that you do not buy rights.”

Man looked at the contract, then signed the adjustment document. When he stood up, he whispered to Khoi: "You are choosing the more difficult path."

"Maybe."

“I'm not sure it will give you a second store.”

“I'm not sure.”

After Man left, Vy asked Khoi why he didn't accept the support. Khoi said that if accepted, the fund must have a separate agreement, not related to brand rights. Vy nodded and created a public donation form.

Lan's mother looked at the old sign. “Do you want to register more names?”

"Want. But there is no money yet.”

Hanh said she can apply after the debt structure is stable. The whole family wrote it down in the plan, not considering it the most urgent thing.

The most urgent thing is that the kitchen must survive this month.

That evening, Khoi received a text message from Man: “I changed my name. But there's a clause in the bank's old version that could make you lose your autonomy before I even buy it. Read the model change approval section carefully.”

Khoi looked at the appendix he found yesterday. Man said the truth, but why?

Ha said not to speculate. “Call Hanh.”

Hanh looked at the paper copy and said that clause was not only binding on the sale. If Bep Nha arbitrarily changes the model to increase risks, the bank has the right to request additional security or withdraw the loan.

Vy smiled faintly. “The community kitchen model increases the risks.”

“Because there are many people using the kitchen,” Hanh said.

“So the old model, where the mother alone signs everything, is not risky?”

“Contracts often protect assets, but don't understand history.”

Khoi looked at the "open formula" board. They just announced a seven-day shared kitchen, but the bank might consider that an unauthorized change.

Lan's mother said: "If you want to change, you must tell them."

“What if they don't give it?”

“Then I know what I need to change in the way I ask for permission.”

Khoi wants to protest that life cannot wait for a signature. But he had learned enough to know that running through the process did not turn risk into freedom.

Tomorrow, Nha Kitchen will send the shared kitchen plan to the bank.

If the bank refuses, they have to choose between honoring the contract and keeping what gives the restaurant its reason to exist.