New Rules Stub Out Smoking: Two 11th Street Diners Will Take Opposite Strategies When New Restrictions on Smoking in Restaurants Take Effect Wednesday. One Will Be Smoke-Free; the Other Will Have a Separate Smoking Area.
By Nicole Nascenzi, Tulsa World, Okla.
Feb. 24–More than a stretch of 11th Street will soon separate two Tulsa diners. Tally’s Good Food Cafe will become smoke-free Wednesday and the Corner Cafe will continue to allow smoking in part of the restaurant. Workers will no longer have to scrub the coffee-colored nicotine stains from Tally’s walls, and the Corner Cafe will become one of the few local restaurants where smokers don’t have to step outside to light up. On Wednesday, a 30-month grace period given to Oklahoma restaurants ends, banning smoking in all public places with few exceptions, officials said. Under a law passed in 2003, restaurant owners can only allow smoking if they follow strict guidelines. Smoking sections must be completely enclosed, have separate entrances, dedicated ventilation systems and be under negative air pressure so no smoke escapes when a door is opened, said Bob Miner, clean air coordinator for the Oklahoma State Health Department. The law also specifies that smoking may be permitted in outdoor dining areas of restaurants, but not within 15 feet of any exterior public doorway. Miner said he believes a majority of restaurants will chose to become smoke-free instead of completing costly renovations. Tally Alame, owner of Tally’s on the corner of 11th Street and Yale Avenue, said he is looking forward to Wednesday. “To me it is a perfect opportunity — a healing time for me,” Alame said beaming. Working around smoke each day irritates his respiratory system, leaving him with chronic sinus infections and nose bleeds that doctors said would not cease until he stopped working near cigarette smoke. In addition, Alame said, renovations to create a separate smoking room would cost him more than $80,000. Waitress Kelli Thompson said she is planning to quit smoking next week when Tally’s goes smoke-free. “It will be easier to quit when there isn’t smoke around,” said Thompson, who is winding down her pack-a-day habit. She said the smoking ban may be good for business because customers will not linger after meals, smoking cigarettes while others wait for tables. However, not everyone at Tally’s is happy about the change.
Long-time customer and smoker Doug McKinzie said he plans to stay home a lot more once Tally’s goes smoke-free. McKinzie said he often comes to Tally’s twice a day to eat, smoke and socialize. “I really think this is a violation of my rights,” he said twirling his turquoise and red coral-encrusted lighter. McKinzie likens Tally’s regular customers to the men who would gather around the stove at a country feed store to swap stories — “it is a meeting place.” If he isn’t allowed to smoke inside, he might as well stay home. Alame estimates that 60 percent of the more than 500 people who eat at Tally’s each day are smokers and he plans to install benches outside where customer can sit and smoke. He said he thinks the smoking ban may initially hamper business, but he believes people will still come to Tally’s for the food, service and his new banquet room. Down the street at the Corner Cafe, 1103 S. Peoria Ave., nothing will change Wednesday. Owner Ala Khater said he spent the past year-and-a-half and more than $10,000 to complete the renovations necessary to meet the state guidelines for smoking rooms. When customers walk in the front door of the cafe they can choose between two doors — to the left a nonsmoking room and to the right a smoking room. Each room has its own decor, but the smoking side has the benefit of a downtown view. The Tulsa City-County Health Department has been working with restaurants to educate them about the new smoking laws, said Elizabeth Nutt, division director for consumer protection. Nutt supervises the restaurant inspectors who will ensure businesses are complying with the smoking ban. If someone lodges a complaint against a restaurant for breaking smoking rules, the business will receive educational material from the State Health Department. If complaints continue, then Tulsa Health Department inspectors will be sent to a restaurant to check for compliance.
Nutt said she hoped businesses owners understand the new rules were put in place to help improve the health of Oklahomans and will comply with the ban.
She expects less than 20 percent of Tulsa restaurants will have a smoking room after the ban takes effect. Fines for breaking the ban will cost offenders between $10 and $100. ———— Nicole Nascenzi 581-8315 nicole.nascenzi@tulsaworld.com
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