Colombian Chain Frisby Enters Legal Battle in Europe as Spanish Company Tries to Steal Its Identity in a Familiar Echo of Colonial History

By
BELatina Daily
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Frisby never asked to become a symbol. Born in the hills of Pereira, Colombia in 1977, it rose not with spectacle but through deep loyalty built by frying oil and family meals. Known across Colombia for its fried chicken, wings, and nuggets, Frisby became more than a fast-food chain. It became a trusted presence with more than 260 restaurants across the country and a product line etched into the national appetite. It did this not through expansion abroad but through loyalty at home. Its name carries the scent of Sunday lunches, the sound of crowded kitchens, and the quiet trust of a country that does not easily lend its heart. Colombians never expected to defend it on the steps of a European court. Now they must.

It is, by every measure, a Colombian company. Families speak of Frisby as one might speak of a neighborhood. It belongs to memory, to routine, to trust. That is what Spain has now attempted to repackage.

A Name Carried Across Oceans

From its origins in Risaralda to every state across Colombia, Frisby became more than fried chicken. It became part of a shared language. The familiarity of its logo, its colors, and the unmistakable taste of its fried chicken have formed part of Colombia’s everyday life. For decades, the company operated without controversy, with an almost sacred presence in the national imagination.

Then came a company in Spain now calling itself Frisby España SL. The name is not coincidence. Neither are the colors nor the rooster. Colombia’s Frisby, the original, watched something disturbingly familiar surfacing across the Atlantic — this time, not on galleons, but within corporate filings.

“Our legal team will pursue all appropriate avenues,” read the Colombian company’s statement. “We reject any attempt by unauthorized third parties to exploit the reputation of our brand, known in Colombia as a famous and protected trademark through the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce.”

The theft was not subtle. The Spanish entity mirrored the Colombian company’s identity with a precision that cannot be dismissed as inspiration. This was not homage. This was extraction.

An Old Silence Dressed as New Business

Spain responded as empires often do — with law, not humility. The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) sided with Frisby España SL, granting them the legal right to operate under the brand’s aesthetic and identity unless Colombia’s Frisby could prove commercial use within the EU.

“Frisby España SL informs the public, suppliers, and financial partners that the EUIPO has validated all legal arguments presented by our company and confirms that the trademark will be revoked only if evidence of effective use is not provided within two months,” read their public notice.

There was no recognition of cultural injury. No pause to acknowledge the power imbalance. What Spain sees as a legal victory, Colombians experience as a repetition of history. The irony runs deep. A country that once emptied Latin American lands of gold, treasures, and women now claims poultry and graphics. It may sound absurd to some, but the legacy is clear to those who’ve lived with the consequences.

There’s no denying that this is a pattern. What Spain took centuries ago, it never returned. Now, its bureaucracies and companies continue a long tradition of claiming what is not theirs and calling it progress. And, no. This is not only about a logo. This is about cultural extraction disguised as market expansion.

That Frisby España SL shows no discomfort, no second thought, only deepens the wound. It is not about the use of a name — it is the act of dressing up in the entire identity of a Colombian creation and treating it as fair game. The arrogance, perhaps even the ignorance, of refusing to see a problem reveals more than a legal gap. It reveals an old gaze still intact, one that sees Latin America as resource, not as creator. If this is not colonialism, it is at least its cousin, dressed in modern legalese.

National Unity over Frisby

Something has shifted. For once, all of Colombia seems to speak in one voice. Regional rivalries quieted. Political divisions softened. Brands that often compete for attention have instead poured their energy into a singular campaign of solidarity. Fried chicken joints, airlines, breweries, ad agencies. All raising their voice for Frisby.

They do not speak only for a company. They speak for every Colombian who has known what it means to have something beautiful taken.

Frisby is Colombia, read dozens of messages across social platforms. Not because of ownership papers, but because it belongs to childhoods, first dates, end-of-year bonuses and late-night cravings. Spain may have permission to use a name. But it will never own what that name means.

“This is magical. This is ours,” said one supporter in Bogotá. “They already took our gold, our women, now they want our chicken?”

The legal process continues. Frisby España has no physical presence yet. It still has no restaurants. But the damage has been done. And the resistance has begun.

Colombians remember. And this time, they are not laughing.

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