Duval Protest Ends After Legal Agreement Reached

 

 

 

A nineteen day Duval Street sidewalk protest has ended after the owners of Adore Organic Innovations agreed to a new 30 day full refund policy and six other concessions to protesters.

 

 

 

The consent agreement was negotiated by Key West Attorney Richard Wunsch. Protestors Tevis Wernicoff and Bruce Mitchell had been holding signs that said, “Rip Off Shop,” in front of the store after a woman suffering from mental illness paid $40,000 for cosmetics there in early March. After confrontations with protestors, city police, the woman’s husband Doug Sherman, and code enforcement director Jim Young a refund was finally made.

 

 

 

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the code enforcement people and those protestors. We hope it can make Key West a better and safer place,” said Sherman.

 

 

 

In addition to the new refund policy, the store owners agreed to follow a city ordinance filling out a written statement of cost prior to all sales more than $75, prohibiting employees from grabbing or touching potential customers on the street, and prohibiting employees from smoking on the sidewalk or throwing cigarettes into the city storm sewer or spitting on the street while working.

 

 

 

The new agreement also requires Adore to publish an apology notice in advertisements to run in The Key West Citizen and Konk Life.

 

 

 

Gilad Shamir, store owner and Nissim Nager, store manager and son-in-law of the owner, and local manager Adi Levy signed a two page document that also requires any sale more than $1,000 to have owner authorization. Lastly, the owners agreed to have the landlord remove a trespass warning against Bruce Mitchell.

 

 

 

Protester Tevis Wernicoff said, “This agreement is a compromise that we hope will change the way this store does business. Time will tell,”

“Our actions have raised awareness and sent a warning to other stores that their business’s behavior can have consequences. We can’t tolerate rip-off shops in Key West,” said Mitchell

 

For information:

Bruce Mitchell 740-274-9091

Tevis Wernicoff 305-304-4026

 

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