SMOKING BAN PART III

After writing about the resistance to the smoking ban due to the Casinos in Atlantic City being allowed to have smoking I felt I should do a little research. I went to the Borgotta this last Sunday to visit Mark Sherry of the Old Homestead Restaurant. This particular restaurant in the Borgotta is the highest grossing restaurant of all establishments in A.C. His restaurant is and always has been none smoking except for a small bar area up front. Mark clued me in to a few things.

As of April 15th all bars and restaurants in the Casinos will not be allowed to have smoking. Smoking will only be allowed on the Casino floor. In the article in NJBiz and in my own I thought the restaurants in the Casinos could allow smoking thus giving them the advantage over area Mom and Pop restaurants. So that threat to them is unfounded.

After great service, décor, wine and food I left and went out to the floor of the Casino. In my minds eye I pictured the Casino ceiling as much higher then they were. They are only about 15 to 18 feet high. Men roamed the walk ways smoking cigars and the tables were full of smokers. A heavy mix of various ethnic groups of smokers filled most tables and to be honest I started to have a hard time breathing. I lost a little bit of money quite quickly and decided to leave. I have to admit it was the smoke that probably saved me from losing any more money. I really wanted to get out of there.

The smoking ban will go into effect in April and I think it might affect the local restaurants only for a little while. With the Casinos being the only place left to smoke I think the problem of smoke there will only get worst, driving out everyone except the hard core smokers. Over time the employees in the Casinos are going to have to come to terms with their potential health problem. The Casinos are going to realize they are losing a good deal of people who would be there to gamble except for the smoking.

Maybe it’s time for me to start a smoke evacuation system for Casinos that works. I could be rich someday!