FORT MYERS, FLA — Woody's Convenience Store on Henderson avenue is a pandemic dream realized, for its owners.
"My husband loves to cook, so we're a convenience store slash fast food [restaurant]," said co-owner Marsha Woody.
But some who live near the brand new business, say its customers are keeping them from catching up on their dreams at night, because of loud music, lights, and partying.
Those neighbors didn't want to go on-camera, so I found a nearby city surveillance camera to verify their complaints.
One video from a late night on December 4, 2020, doesn't come with any sound but does show crowds and lights.
"We're just going to have to start closing early," said Woody.
Woody says she's heard the complaints and has been on the receiving end of several police calls, and says she gets it.
"It's just gotten outrageous because people come because there's nowhere for them to go," she said.
But she also wants people to know, that some of these issues are beyond her reach.
"Now I have no control over the people parking over here by the school, over there by the funeral home. I have no control of that," she said "The noise, that's not us! That's the people coming, parking, playing their music loud and we tell them 'Please don't do that.'"
However, it is an issue, that's well within the scope of councilman Johnny Streets Jr. who says that location has been a problem before, under previous owners.
"We want the business to make money but not on the expense of the neighborhood," he said, "That location and several others in the city that we've been working with.
Here's how he hopes to get things under control:
"I have to sit down myself with the city manager, the police department, the beverage department, the fire department, and the owners of the business," he said.
And it's a solution the Woody's say they welcome.
"We're gonna have to get together and work this one out," Marsha said.
