For years, a question has loomed over the highly anticipated reopening of one of San Francisco’s most iconic landmarks: Would the Cliff House still be called the Cliff House?
The previous operators of the longtime oceanfront property, Dan and Mary Hountalas, have held Cliff House trademarks since the 1980s. It was unclear whether they would be willing to sell the name to the new operator, lawyer and San Francisco native Alexander Leff, who is now in charge of restoring the aging building, set on a rugged cliff with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean.
They have finally struck a deal: The Hountalases have donated all of their Cliff House trademarks to the Western Neighborhoods Project, a small nonprofit dedicated to preserving the history of western San Francisco. The donation agreement, which was signed on Nov. 1, includes all trademarks, domains and social media accounts connected to the business; original recipes; and the famous Cliff House sign, according to an announcement. The Western Neighborhoods Project and Leff plan to negotiate licensing agreement to grant him rights to the name…