Posted on: Monday, February 25, 2002

EDITORIAL
Fear not, smoking ban needn't kill business

Take heart, O'ahu restaurateurs who have nightmares about empty tables when the county smoking ban takes effect on July 1. If you offer good food and service, you'll still draw a crowd.

Consider the case of Tokkuri-tei, a popular Japanese izakaya that used to be filled with customers and their smoke. For many of the Japanese customers, particularly those at the sushi bar, tobacco was an integral part of the dining experience.

Shortly after moving from Sheridan Street to Kapahulu Avenue, owner Kazuhiro Mitake volunteered to ban smoking from his busy tavern. His sushi chefs and wait staff didn't mind in the least. But how would the customers react?

Well, without smoke, Tokkuri-tei is as busy as it ever was — crowded almost every night. The secret to its success? "Good food and good service," says one sushi chef.

Tokkuri-tei isn't the only smoke-free Honolulu eatery doing a brisk business. According to staff writers Robbie Dingeman and Walter Wright, The Chowder House in Ward Warehouse reported business picked up after the bar and restaurant voluntarily became smoke-free in 1999.

Of course, there's bound to be some fallout when the ban goes into effect, so we don't mean to belittle the concerns of restaurant owners. But it's unlikely we'll see the doomsday scenarios painted by some food, beverage and tourist industry lobbyists.

As we've pointed out before, smoking bans haven't hurt the restaurant industry in New York and California, largely because restaurateurs are discovering that the bulk of their customers don't smoke and don't want smoke near their food.

Besides, under the Honolulu county ordinance, smoking is still allowed in stand-alone bars, nightclubs, open-air restaurants and patios. So lucky you smoke in Hawai'i, where the weather is warm most of the year.