Bill Coleman
Scandia Area ReporterRestaurant and bar owners in Scandia are joining Duluth, Rochester and a number of other Minnesota municipalities this fall by going smoke-freeó granted Scandia has only one of each.
ìI think the time is right to do this,î said Julie Ruddy, owner of Meisterís Bar and Grill in Scandia. ìIíve been told over and over by people that they would love to come in and eat, but the smoke keeps them away. I also take my responsibility as an employer seriously and believe my employees shouldnít have to work in a smoke filled room.î
Unlike Duluth and Rochester, and more recently Moorhead, Scandiaís smoking ban is self-mandatedóno action by the Town Board has been taken on the issue.
On September 5, Meisterís will join The Scandia CafÈ as Scandiaís second smoke-free eating establishment.
The Scandia CafÈ has been smoke-free on the weekends for a couple of years now, but went cold-turkey June 8óeven on the outdoor patio. Meisterís will allow smoking at its outdoor tables.
ìThe response has been nothing but positive,î said Scandia CafÈ owner Holly Beyl. ìI bet twice a day I have someone thank me for making the move. I think the smokers realize this is something thatís been coming for a while now. Theyíve been pretty understanding.î
Ruddyówho is a member of the Washington County Smoke Free Coalitionósaid this is something she has wanted to do since she and her husband Jared Brunfelt took over ownership of Meisterís roughly three years ago.
ìI respect our customerís right to smoke and realize there will probably be customers I wonít see again, but we just have too many families who frequent Meisterís now,î said Ruddy. ìIíve had three pregnant employees recently and have teenagers working for us. They donít need to be breathing second-hand smoke during their shift.î
ìI donít think itís right,î said Burns Rudy of Hugo, an ex-smoker and Meisterís patron. ìPeople are losing their rights in all sorts of ways these days. I donít know if (Meisterís) will lose business, but it seems to me, whenever you try and solve a problem like this you simply create another one.î
State law requires restaurants to have 30 percent of their seating smoke-free.
Minnesota cities that have smoking bans in restaurants and bars include: Cloquet, Duluth, Little Falls, Moose Lake, Moorhead (Sept. 1), Olmsted County and Rochester.
A list of non-smoking restaurants and bars can be found at nsrmn@mtn.org.
WHERE DO YOU STOP?
Second hand smoke can be annoying and intrusive and some people have allergic reactions or breathing problems associated with it. However, the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia recently voted to prohibit the wearing of all cosmetic fragrances (deodorant, herbal shampoos, colognes and other scented products) in most indoor public placesófor the same reasons.
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