Sunday, January 03 2010
By Annie Chen (
Raleigh Restaurant Examiner)
Smokers, beware. As of January 2nd, state laws have gone into effect and smoking will no longer be permitted inside North Carolina restaurants and bars. Only private clubs like the Elks Lodge in Raleigh that are non-profit and serve food and drinks can allow smoking.
For some patrons, the new ban could be viewed as a reprieve. Some restaurants hope that the ban will bring in business that diners otherwise would not set foot in before the ban was enacted. For other restaurants, perhaps well-known and embraced for their smoky bar atmosphere, the new ban on smoking indoors could prove to be bad for business. In order to prepare for the new law going into effect at the start of the new year, some restaurants have expanded or built outdoor patios and have purchased propane heat lamps to keep huddled smoking patrons warm outside.
Smoked out: Smoking ban now in effect for NC restaurants and bars continues here...
