EDITOR’S NOTE: This story originally said White had to be rescued from his home on Sanibel Island. However, he said he and his wife left in her oldest son’s boat to reach the mainland and that “at no time” did he “impose on anyone to rescue me or my wife.”
A best-selling Florida author who created the Doc Ford character in his novels is suing a restaurant management company.
Randy Wayne White in early July 2025 sued HM Restaurant Group LLC, claiming it was “repeatedly browbeating” him about reducing his royalties tied to the Doc Ford brand.
White sued for breach of contract, claiming that HM Restaurant Group promoted products with the Doc Ford name without permission.
HM owns Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille on Sanibel Island, Fort Myers Beach and two restaurants in the St. Petersburg area. It also owns Dixie Fish Co. at Fort Myers Beach.
Neither White nor his lawyer were available for comment.
Please see below for a formal statement on behalf of HM Restaurant Group.
HM Restaurant Group disagreed with what White’s alleging in the suit.
“We are aware of the lawsuit and strongly disagree with the claims being made. HM Restaurant Group has a long-standing reputation for exceptional hospitality and being a trusted company and community partner,” the company said in a statement.
“We are confident in our position and look forward to the opportunity for a fair and thorough review of the facts. In the meantime, we remain focused on what we do best, which is connecting people with great food and delivering legendary guest experiences.”
What White’s lawsuit alleges
The 16-page civil suit filed in Lee County Circuit Court alleges three complaints against HM Restaurant Group, saying it breached its contract with White regarding damages and royalties; pertaining to “specific performances”; and regarding damages for use of Doc Ford trademarks.
White entered into an agreement to create Doc Ford’s restaurant in 2003 with Island House Restaurant Limited Partnership, the suit said.
Island House Restaurant Limited Partnership dissolved in 2015 and HM Restaurant Group took over, the suit said.
When did business relationship change
In early 2022, HM Restaurant Group approached White requesting a new agreement relative to the operation of the Doc Ford restaurants, the suit said.
However, HM Restaurant Group “not only requested a reduction of royalties payable to Mr. White but also sought to procure from Mr. White rights under the Doc Ford IP well beyond those necessary tooperate a restaurant chain including 30% ownership of all Mr. White’s book copyrights, film/movie rights, and audiobook rights past, present and future in perpetuity,” the suit alleged.
Such a move “would have effectively given HMRG full control of the ‘Doc Ford’ brand,” the suit said. White refused such a request.
He said he continued to try to work with HM Restaurant Group and both sides eventually agreed on a plan. In the new pact, White granted HM “a license to use the Doc Ford Trademarks on and in HMRG’s advertising, promotional, and marketing material associated with Doc Ford Restaurants and on retail items sold at its Doc Ford Restaurants and from its websites operated for the primary purpose of marketing its Doc Ford Restaurants.”
However, as White pointed out in an email to the Naples Daily News, HM owns or leases “the buildings in which those restaurants are located, but I own the federal trademark and franchise. They DO NOT own the Doc Ford trademark and franchise.”
What happened that led to lawsuit
After one year, the suit said, HM sought “a further reduction in royalties, repeatedly browbeating Mr. White about the royalty structure.”
When White refused to reduce his royalties, HM began to “misuse” White’s intellectual property by promoting products not agreed to in the original contract, the suit said.
White said HM without permission included the Doc Ford name on products like hot sauce, which are shown in photos in the lawsuit.
The suit did not list a dollar amount, as it said White sought “damages in an amount to be determined, attorneys’ fees and costs.”
White’s 27th novel, “One Deadly Eye,” published in 2024 and is about a hurricane tearing through Sanibel, a serial killer and more.
Hurricane Ian hit Sanibel and Captiva islands on Sept. 28, 2022. White said he and his wife, Wendy Webb, did not have to be rescued during the hurricane.
“Quite the opposite (is true.) I was able to use my FCC Ham radio license to contact Coast Guard helicopters and have other people who needed to be rescued evacuated,” White said in the email.
“At no time did I impose on anyone to rescue me or my wife. My oldest son, Lee White, and a couple of friends arrived the evening after the hurricane in Lee’s boat and took us to the mainland, but that certainly does not constitute a rescue. In point of fact, I spent the next four or five days coordinating radio comms out of Punta Rassa for an organization called Operation Dynamo who did rescue many people in the week following the hurricane.”
And his latest book features Doc Ford, a marine biologist and ex-NSA agent.
Dave Osborn is the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Contact him at dosborn@gannett.com and follow him on Instagram @lacrossewriter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Repeated ‘browbeating’: Doc Ford author sues SWFL restaurant group
Reporting by Dave Osborn, Fort Myers News-Press / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
