TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Legal Newsline) — Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi announced May 4 that her office is taking action against Icebox Café L.C. and Icebox Café at MIA LLC for allegedly misleading consumers regarding the local nature and sustainability of their products.
The defendants, a group of restaurants, market to consumers that their food is locally sourced and sustainable. In their marketing the defendants allege that they have received state certification as a local provider. Yet, according to allegations, the restaurants received much of their food from SYSCO, a national distributor.
“Many Floridians want to know where and how their food was grown, and we will not stand for any restaurant misrepresenting the origin of the produce they sell to deceive customers seeking locally-sourced, fresh food,” Bondi said in a statement.
Bondi seeks permanent injunctive relief against the defendants to bar them from false marketing in the future. Bondi also seeks civil penalties for alleged violations of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Bondi’s office, in conjunction with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, is currently looking into the business practices of so-called farm-to-table restaurants.