Restaurateurs Say Smoking Ban Is Eating Into Business

Restaurant owners in Beverly Hills reported a 30% drop in the number customers after the imposition last week of the city’s tough ban on smoking in restaurants.

A survey of about 30 eating establishments by the Beverly Hills Restaurant Assn. was presented to the council Tuesday night to support their contention that the new anti-smoking law--the second such ban in the nation and the first in the state--is already creating severe hardships for restaurant owners.

Rudy Cole, a spokesman for the association representing 41 restaurant owners, all of whom oppose the smoking ban, asked the council to “save one of the most important industries in the city” by rewriting the ordinance to allow restaurants to have “smoke-free sections.”

Reconsideration Promised

In response to the complaints, Councilman Robert Tanenbaum said the city did not intend to harm the restaurants when it approved the ordinance on March 3. But he said the city would reconsider the ordinance if the restaurants could prove that the new law would result in a prolonged hardship.

The City Council said that a weekend was not enough time to judge the effectiveness of the statute or its effect on patronage.

The council expressed disappointment with the findings. And Mayor Charlotte Spadaro and Councilman Benjamin Stansbury agreed to meet with the group of owners.

The council also urged the owners to end their fight against the ordinance and to start promoting their restaurants as places without the harmful influence of smoke.

“There is a tremendous pool of people out there (who do not smoke),” Councilwoman Donna Ellman told the owners Tuesday night. “The restaurants should urge people to come to the city and enjoy fine food in a smoke-free atmosphere.”

Restaurant owners were pleased with the council’s decision to meet with them. “We have been urging them to meet with us and now they promise to hear our complaints,” Cole said.

The owners were dealt a blow last week when a Los Angeles Superior Court judge refused their request to delay enforcement of the ordinance until a lawsuit is settled.

The law bans smoking in the city’s 125 restaurants and in most public places. Smoking is permitted in bars, hotel restaurants, private banquet rooms and outside dining areas. Violators face fines of up to $500. There have been no arrests yet.

Restaurant owners said smokers were avoiding the law by eating elsewhere.

Romeo and Juliet restaurant reported a 50% drop in patronage. Cafe Beverly Hills said that business was down more than 30%. The Gingerman West reported a 10% to 30% decline and La Famiglia said it experienced a 11.4% decline.

Asks for Exemption

Vito A. Sasso, owner of Romeo and Juliet, asked the council to grant his restaurant a exemption from implementing the law after 10:30 p.m. when it stops serving food and live entertainment begins. “I feel that smoking should be allowed because no food is being served,” he said.

The council said that its committee of Stansbury and Spadaro would study the complaints and recommend changes if any are necessary.

“We should take a position and take it quickly,” Stansbury said. He said that coupons to Beverly Hills restaurants could be issued to nonsmoking customers as a promotion. The coupons could be redeemed for discounts.