A plaque remaining from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem.

Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.

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Entry from October 24, 2019
Freedom Fries (french fries)

France initially did not support the United Stated-initiated the 2003 invasion of Iraq. As a result, some U.S. establishments renamed french fries as “freedom fries” and french toast as “freedom toast.”
 
“He’s also going to introduce Freedom Fries and Colonial Cola” was printed in The Record (Hackensack, NJ) on July 9, 1975, in connection with the American Bicentennial. “Freedom Fries” was printed in the Fort Lauderdale (FL) News/Sun-Sentinel on July 3, 1985, offered by a restaurant called All American Hero. “Freedom fries not French fries” was an Associated Press story printed in many newspapers on February 19, 2003, reporting on the restaurant Cubbie’s at Beaufort, North Carolina. Cubbie’s owner Neal Rowland filed for a trademark on March 11, 2003.
 
World War I-era food renamings include “liberty cabbage” (for sauerkraut), “liberty sandwich” (for hamburger) and “liberty steak” (also for hamburger).
   
   
Wikipedia: Freedom fries
Freedom fries was a politically motivated renaming for French fries in the United States. The term was born in 2003 when the then Republican Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, Bob Ney, renamed the menu item in three Congressional cafeterias in response to France’s opposition to the proposed invasion of Iraq. Although originally supported with several restaurants changing their menus as well, the term fell out of use due to declining support for the Iraq War. Following Ney’s resignation as Chairman in 2006, it was quietly reverted.
(...)
Initial renaming
Renaming was initiated in February 2003 by Beaufort, North Carolina “Cubbie’s” restaurant owner Neal Rowland, who said he was motivated by similar actions against Germany in World War I, when “sauerkraut was called liberty cabbage, and frankfurters were renamed hot dogs”. (The term hot dog was in use well before the outbreak of World War I.)  In an interview about the name change, Rowland commented “since the French are backing down [from the war], French fries and French everything needs to be banned”. In March 2007, Rowland obtained a trademark registration for the term “freedom fries”.
     
Newspapers.com
9 July 1975, The Record (Hackensack, NJ), “OK, patriots; On your mark. Get set; Sell” by Edith Felber, pg. C-3, col. 3:
He’s also going to introduce Freedom Fries and Colonial Cola.
(For the American Bicentennial.—ed.)
 
Newspapers.com
3 July 1985, Fort Lauderdale (FL) News/Sun-Sentinel, pg. 9A, col. 1 ad:
ALL AMERICAN HERO
FREE
Freedom Fries
(Broward Mall.—ed.)
 
Newspapers.com
19 February 2003, The Reporter (Fond Du Lac, WI), pg. D2, col. 6:
Freedom fries not French fries
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEAUFORT, N.C.—You can get fries with your burger at a restaurant here, but just don’t ask for french fries.
 
Neal Rowland, the owner of Cubbie’s, now only sells his fried potato strips as “freedom fries”—a decision that comes as Americans watch French officials back away from support for possible war in Iraq.
 
“Because of Cubbie’s support for our troops, we no longer serve french fries. We now serve freedom fries,” says a sign in the restaurant’s window.
 
Rowland said his intent is not to slight the French people, but to take a patriotic stance to show his support for the United States and the actions of President Bush.
   
Newspaperrs.com
21 February 2003, Marshfield (WI) News-Herald, “Bashing the French in vogue in the U.S.” by David B. Caruso (AP), pg. 1, cols. 6-7:
In Beaufort, N.C., one restaurant owner took french fries off his menu and replaced them with “freedom fries.”
 
Urban Dictionary
freedom fries
Part of a pathetic attempt to reduce France’s status because it doesn’t support an unjust and imperialistic war. Those who invented this term seem to have forgotten that France gave us the Statue of Liberty and a huge chunk of territory known as the Louisiana Purchase. Not to mention that America would still be a British colony if it weren’t for the French. Come to think of it, the world would be better off if there wasn’t any United States.
french fries -> freedom fries
french toast-> freedom toast
french kiss -> freedom kiss
peking duck -> democracy duck
guinea worm -> liberty worm
turkey -> independence bird
world -> America
inspections -> war
statesmanship -> war
diplomacy -> war
peace -> war

by Not Proud to be an American May 08, 2003
 
(Trademark)
Word Mark FREEDOM FRIES
Goods and Services (CANCELLED) IC 029. US 046. G & S: FRIED POTATOES, POTATO CRISPS, POTATO CHIPS, POTATO SNACK FOODS, FROZEN AND PROCESSED POTATOES. FIRST USE: 20030212. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20030212
Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING
Serial Number 76495776
Filing Date March 11, 2003
Current Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition January 9, 2007
Registration Number 3220999
Registration Date March 27, 2007
Owner (REGISTRANT) ROWLAND, NEAL INDIVIDUAL UNITED STATES 3010 MANDY LANE MOREHEAD CITY NORTH CAROLINA 28557
Attorney of Record Larry C. Jones
Disclaimer NO CLAIM IS MADE TO THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO USE FRIES APART FROM THE MARK AS SHOWN
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator DEAD
Cancellation Date November 1, 2013
   
(Trademark)
Word Mark FREEDOM FRIES
Goods and Services (ABANDONED) IC 030. US 046. G & S: G 30 Snack mix consisting primarily of crackers, pretzels, candied nuts and/or popped popcorn” Liberty Snacks is located in Liberty NY. We manufacture a line of “snacks” such as low fat chips based on rice, potato and soy. FIRST USE: 20030201. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20030201
Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING
Serial Number 78241524
Filing Date April 24, 2003
Current Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Owner (APPLICANT) Liberty Snacks, Inc. CORPORATION NEW YORK 89 Mill Street Liberty NEW YORK 12754
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator DEAD
Abandonment Date May 17, 2004

Posted by Barry Popik
New York CityFood/Drink • Thursday, October 24, 2019 • Permalink


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