Derek Bartle had promised attendees the likes of Cathy Barry and Omar Klein — in the buff no less — but when it came time to open Saucy, Bartle’s store, there was no sign of nudity.
“We had planned quite a lavish opening, but in the end we felt that we did not want to push it in the face of local residents,” Bartle said. “We felt something more low-key was appropriate, so we just opened the doors and waited for customers to come in. We thought it would be better to open with a murmur rather than a bang.”
Despite what Bartle called “widespread opposition” to the shop, local officials granted it permission to open its doors. However, Bartle believes that he’ll likely have to keep a low profile, if he wants to avoid controversy.
Still, the protests didn’t do much to slow sales or dampen attendance. According to Bartle, the store was packed for the opening, and the biggest seller was herbal Viagra.
In the meantime, local Councilor John Rogers, who had led the unsuccessful campaign to block to shop from opening, has promised to monitor the shop.
