FORKS — A planned Twilight-themed restaurant in Forks, originally dubbed Volterra, instead will be named The Lodge in Forks when it opens early next year, owner Tim Root said Thursday.
The eatery’s owners elected to change the name after the Seattle establishment, Volterra Restaurant at 5411 Ballard Ave. N.W., notified them that it has the name registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the use of the word for restaurants, bars and sale of spices, and threatened to sue if the Forks couple didn’t change the name.
Spoke with Volterra owner
“We obviously proceeded to change our name, based on the confusion last week,” said Root, who — with his wife, Annette — owns Dazzled by Twilight, a Twilight souvenir shop.
“We talked not only with their attorney, but the owner, and Annette also had a very nice conversation,” he said.
Root added that the Forks establishment could end in selling branded wine and spices for the Seattle Volterra.
The original Dazzled by Twilight shop is at 61 N. Forks Ave., in Forks. The Roots have since opened a branch at 135 E. First St., Port Angeles.
The Lodge in Forks will be at 81 N. Forks Ave., where the Vagabond Restaurant, which closed in the late 1990s, was located.
The Twilight saga — a series of four bestselling books by Stephenie Meyer which are set in Forks — tells of the teen romance between the human Bella Swan and vampire Edward Cullen.
The new name of the restaurant is a reference to the restaurant where Bella and her father Charlie eat after her high school graduation in the third book of the series, Eclipse.
When Meyer wrote the books — which have spawned two movies, one of which is to be released Nov. 20 — there was no such restaurant.
The couple has changed the name with the state Department of Licensing, where they have applied for a liquor permit.
Misunderstanding
When the Roots decided to name the restaurant Volterra, they did not know of the existence of the Seattle establishment.
“It was just a misunderstanding,” Root said. “They, of course, had to make sure to protect their investment.
“I wasn’t upset by their letter because they have every right to protect the name that they have had forever.”
Seattle’s Volterra is renowned for its Tuscan-style meals. The restaurant’s spices have been included in celebrity gift baskets at the Academy Awards since 2006.
Working together
The owners of Volterra and The Lodge in Forks now are working on working together. The deal would have the Seattle restaurant allowing the Forks locale to sell its branded wine and spices.
Chef Don Curtiss, who owns Volterra with his wife, Michelle Quisenberry, also has offered to create a meal for the restaurant in the style of Tuscany, according to a prepared statement.
“Michelle and I fell in love with the town of Volterra on our first visit in 2002 and were married in the Piazza dei Priori in 2004,” Curtiss said.
“The town holds so much significance to our lives that we named our restaurant after it.
“Our guests are able to experience our personal connection to Volterra when they dine with us.”
Curtiss said that he and Quisenberry try to return to Volterra each year.
“However, in all our visits, we have never seen a vampire, but have encountered numerous bats who live in the Etrsucan tombs.”
Twilight Lounge
The Roots already operate the Twilight Lounge out of the two-story building where The Lodge in Forks will be located.
The Lounge has been used for concerts, as well as weekly events for fans to gather.
The restaurant and a bar area are planned to be in the basement level.
“We like to call it the Dungeon area — and all of that is still on track,” said Root, adding that the restaurant could have a soft opening in January or February, depending on progress with renovations.
Volterra, which is a city in Italy, is, in the Twilight universe, a reference to the place where the vampire aristocracy dwell.
The aristocracy are known as the Volturi and, in addition to being some of the oldest vampires in existence, are known for their immense powers.
The Dungeon is a reference to their labyrinth-like dwellings in the city.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
