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Restaurant managers sound off on smoking ban
Published December 26, 2006
ANGLETON — As a second city in Brazoria County gets ready to turn area restaurants into nonsmoking establishments, two area managers say smoking bans are fair only when they equally affect every eatery.
“As long as it is a level playing field, it will work out best for all the restaurants in Angleton,” said Mark Echols, manager of the Angleton Chili’s.
On March 1, a city ordinance will take effect that bans smoking in most enclosed public spaces in Angleton. Lake Jackson was the first city to put similar laws into place May 1. However, Lake Jackson restaurants were given the option to completely wall off a smoking section and install a separate ventilation system, or go entirely smoke-free.
The Cherotel Brazosport Hotel and Conference Center’s bar area was not able to be renovated, so it was forced to go non-smoking, said the hotel’s manager, Emil Raschle. Since the ban, sales have dropped and regular customers have left for good, Raschle said.
The bar’s average monthly sales have dropped by about $1,500, Raschle said.
“If this affected a bigger area, it would be easier,” Raschle said. “Since Lake Jackson was the first one to pass it, people have the possibility to go to Clute or Freeport.”
Raschle spoke against the ban during a public hearing before Lake Jackson City Council voted to adopt the ordinance in November 2005.
“Many people who drink and smoke say that if they can’t do it, then they just won’t come to the bar,” Raschle said. “We had a regular crowd that came by every night. They haven’t come back.”
The Angleton ordinance originally included a provision that would allow restaurants to have a smoking section if a separate ventilation system was installed before the ordinance date. It was removed after a smoking ban committee made up of Angleton restaurant owners, smokers and non smokers took a second look at the set of rules.
Smithhart’s Texas Grill in Angleton has such a system in place, but they won’t be able to use it to keep their smoking customers.
“It might hurt the business a little,” said Smithhart’s manager, Bridgett Henley. “If they have a place for people to smoke, it should be OK, and they shouldn’t worry about it.”
In Lake Jackson, Johnny Carino’s Country Italian Kitchen server Rusty Edignton said the smoking ban might have helped business pick up at the restaurant.
“The majority of the public does appreciate it and likes the ban,” Edignton said. “For the most part, everyone is pretty happy when we say it is all non-smoking.”
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