Downtown Orlando restaurant alleges discrimination as it faces eviction

ORLANDO, Fla. — A popular downtown Orlando restaurant that faces eviction from its courtyard space -- which its owner says is needed to keep his business afloat -- alleges that its landlord racially discriminated against private events it hosted.

Dovecote LLC, doing business as DoveCote Restaurant at 390 N. Orange Ave., on July 12 said it filed a complaint against landlord Swvp Orlando Office LLC, which is related to San Diego-based Southwest Value Partners, to the city of Orlando’s Discrimination Review Board.

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The complaint requests the board to send the parties to mediation.

Separately, on April 8, Swvp Orlando Office filed a lawsuit against Dovecote LLC to evict the tenant from the building’s courtyard space, leaving the restaurant to operate only in its indoor restaurant space, according to Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida documents.

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That eviction may occur as soon as next week.

Click here to read Jack Witthaus’ full story on the Orlando Business Journal’s website.

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See a map of the restaurant below:

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