locally owned Giant Food store in Warwick is about to come to an end.

The Washington, DC-based chain, which owns 156 Giant Food supermarkets in America and boasts annual profits of $3.5 billion, had served the local owners with a writ several months ago.

The company demanded Mr. and Mrs. Manuel Mendonca and Mr. George Whitecross stop using the chain's name and logo.

A spokesman from the chain said at the weekend he personally found out the store had copied the company's name without permission through a reporter friend who vacationed here earlier this year.

"The matter is still in litigation,'' Mr. Barry Scher said. "And we are trying to work towards an amicable solution.'' Mr. Scher said the company was not seeking a financial settlement.

Lawyer for Mr. Whitecross and the Mendoncas, Sen. Jerome Dill, said yesterday his clients were on the verge of reaching a settlement with the chain.

The trio took on the name of the store when they bought it last August, when it was called the Friendly Store.

At the time, Mr. Whitecross admitted to The Royal Gazette that Giant Food in the US had no stake in the store.

He said Giant Food was simply the name the owners had picked. He also said the store would be buying food from Giant Food in the US.

However, Mr. Scher said his company had "never'' had any dealings with the local store and certainly did not sell food to it.

When contacted yesterday Mr. Whitecross refused to comment at all. Mr. John Cunningham of Smith Barnard and Diel was representing the US Giant Food chain.

Meanwhile, the store is gearing up to fight a Liquor Licensing Authority refusal to grant it a licence to sell liquor at the store.

One of the main objectors was Warwick Academy, across the road.

The appeal is set to be heard this week in Supreme Court.