Community Corner
Cobb Sex Shop Owner Fights To Stay Open Amid Legal Battles
Tokyo Valentino owner Michael Morrison is still operating his two Cobb County locations, even though his business licenses were revoked.
COBB COUNTY, GA — The owner of two controversial sex shops in Cobb County is still keeping the doors open amid a pair of pending court cases threatening to close them — one as early as next month — and two revoked business licenses.
Owner Michael Morrison operates two Tokyo Valentino locations in Cobb County: one on Cobb Parkway in Marietta and another in East Cobb, under Cobb County's jurisdiction. Marietta City Council revoked Morrison's business license for the Cobb Parkway location last July and ordered the store to close; then in October, Cobb County commissioners revoked the East Cobb location's license, too.
Both governments filed complaints against Tokyo Valentino, and a Cobb County Superior Court judge is set to hear the county's complaint against the East Cobb location on July 13. The county is asking the court to enforce its October decision and impose an injunction, forcing the location to close because it doesn't have an appropriate business license, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
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In addition, Morrison appealed the city of Marietta's decision in September 2020. The city then submitted a counterclaim arguing Tokyo Valentino was not allowed to sell the "massive amount of pornography" found in the shop, The AJC reported. Business inspectors estimated that roughly 80-90 percent of the store's merchandise was sex-related.
Despite all of this, both stores are still open pending the outcomes of both court cases. Morrison told The AJC that these court battles come with the business.
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“I think like any controversial business — whether it’s this, or gentlemen’s clubs or marijuana stores — part of the business model is you have to fight some of this litigation,” Morrison told The AJC. “I think it gets us a lot of publicity, which always helps. But really it hurts the customer because all these fees get passed on in higher prices to the consumer.”
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