Jump to full article: Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer, 2009-03-13
Author: Patrick Crowley
Intro: Shakey's Pub and Grub has made a lot of effort trying to appeal to those who smoke and those who don't.
The restaurant and bar that sits along U.S. 42 in the heart of Florence offers smoking and non-smoking sections. Owner Shakey Shaw has spent more than $30,000 on a ventilation system that keeps the air mostly free of smoke and haze.
But on April 1, Shakey's is going smoke-free. That's no April Fool's joke.
Concerned that he is losing customers who want to eat, drink and watch sports in a smoke-free environment, Shaw is making what he knows is a difficult decision that will alienate and even drive off some long time customers.
"I'm getting a lot of heat from the non-smokers," Shaw said Thursday night as he sipped on a Bud Light while seated near the restaurant's front door. "A lot of people don't want to be around cigarette smoke. I know I'm taking a chance. But I've made the decision, and it's what I'm going to do."
Jump to full article » |