By Brenda Showalter, The Republic Reporter
Smokers looking for a restaurant to have a cigarette and a meal in Bartholomew County have few choices these days.
A smoking ban for Columbus’ enclosed public places, including restaurants, went into effect Feb. 1 but does not include eateries outside of city limits.
Bars and private clubs also are excluded from the ban.
Some county restaurants in Hope, Taylorsville, Edinburgh and Jonesville have seen an increase in business as smokers look for a place to light up.
Other county restaurants were already smoke-free, including McDonald’s, Arby’s, Burger King and Hardee’s in Edinburgh near the outlet mall and Cornett’s Corner Café and Subway in Hope.
Jackie Miller, owner of the Sugar Shak in Hope, said many of her regular customers are smokers, but she has picked up others looking for restaurants that allow smoking.
“It’s improved my business,” said Miller, who operates the diner on the Hope square.
“I’ve had quite a few who said they would come back because they can smoke here.”
Miller keeps ceiling fans and an exhaust fan running to help circulate air in the small restaurant.
“There’s no doubt about it. If we didn’t have smoking, we wouldn’t be as busy,” said Sugar Shak employee Sandy Evans.
R.G. Nolan, a Hope resident and nonsmoker, still goes to the Sugar Shak even though the smoke sometimes bothers him.
“I’m one of the few nonsmokers here.”
Balancing act
Mark Cornett and his father, Ron, operate Cornett’s Corner Café in Hope where business has been brisk despite being smoke-free.
Cornett said many of his customers have told him they wish the café allowed smoking.
“We would if we could,” Cornett said, explaining that the place is too small and the exhaust system couldn’t handle the smoke.
Cornett has strong opinions about the Columbus ban, however.
“If I’m paying taxes and paying my rent, I shouldn’t have someone tell me how to run my business.
“If you don’t want to be in a place with smokers, don’t go in there.”
Kathy Walters of Hope said restaurants need to have smoking and nonsmoking sections to accommodate all of their customers.
At Cracker Barrel in Edinburgh, associate manager Andrew Sanders said the Columbus smoking ordinance has helped business.
“It definitely has,” Sanders said. “There are still people who want to go out to eat and have a cigarette without going outside.”
Cracker Barrel offers a smoking section in the back side of its dining room.
Worth the drive
Darlene Sierp, manager of Max & Erma’s in Edinburgh, said they often receive calls from people inquiring about the restaurant’s smoking policy.
“I definitely think (business) has picked up,” said Sierp.
“Even at lunch, they’ll drive that extra 10 or 15 minutes from Columbus,” said Max & Erma’s bartender Chastin Caffee.
The bar area, however, is the only place smoking is allowed at Max & Erma’s and at Edinburgh’s Montana Mike’s and Ruby Tuesday.
Joey Nino, manager of the A&W/ Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Taylorsville said she had the restaurant go smoke-free after Feb. 1, because she thought the smoking ban included all of Bartholomew County.
“I understood it was countywide. I didn’t want to get fined,” Nino said.
At Taylorville’s Waffle House, the restaurant is half smoking and half non-smoking.
Manager Travis Brooks said he has not seen much difference in business since the smoking ban went into effect.
Also noticing no change was John Travis, one of the owners of The Brick in Jonesville.
“We’re always busy at lunch,” said Travis about the restaurant and bar 10 miles from downtown Columbus.