Zef Dedvukaj said an attorney for the the fast-food giant sent him a strongly worded letter in November warning that the name of his two restaurant locations, one in Detroit and one in nearby Warren, Mich., could be construed as trademark infringement due to its similarity to "Mickey D's," a popular nickname for McDonald's, WDIV-TV in Detroit reported Tuesday.

Dedvukaj, whose restaurant specializes in corned beef, said Nicky D's was named for his young nephew.

"My nephew, his name is Nicholas, so we named the place Nicky. Nicky D's Coney Island," he said. "The last name starts with a D."

"The money's not the issue, it's just my nephew, you know.That's his name, so I'd like to keep it up there," Dedvukaj said. "When he comes in here, he's really excited."