Why provide a smoking option for your customers ?
Supply and Demand
You would be supplying a service that is currently overwhelmed by demand. The rule of supply and demand applies here. With 23% of customers seeking smoking restaurants, there are less than 2% of restaurants offering this option. This obviously translates to high earnings for those few.
No Down Side
By following the current state laws, there is absolutely no impact to your existing non smoking customers. Translation, no down side.
You Really Do Want Their Business
When a member of your wait staff tells a smoking customer that “we have gone smoke free for our customers” This is what your smoking customer hears.” We never thought of you as a customer and really don’t want your business.” In these economic times, is this truly the message you want to send.
It’s Your Business
Send an appropriate message. It’s your business and as such under your control. Your success or failure is yours alone. The decisions as to what is best for your business should be yours alone and not some outside entity be it governmental or otherwise.
Happier Wait Staff
It’s a statistical fact that smokers tip better. No I can not answer as to why. Does it matter?
Recently the Richmond Times Dispatch published an article describing tough economic times for restaurants. They listed about 30 area restaurants that had gone out of business. There was not a single smoking restaurant on this list. Some simple math, I believe can provide some insight as to why. There are approximately 77% of restaurant goers that are non smokers. 30 to 40 % of these have a preference for non smoking, the rest; say 35% would just as soon eat at a smoking section. Many do for the companionship of their smoking friends. This leaves us with a mere 40% insisting on a non smoking section. 98% of restaurants are fighting over this 40%.This leaves the other 40 % that don’t smoke + 20% that do smoke free to eat at the less then 2% of restaurants that offer choice to their customers. Is it any wonder that not a single smoking restaurant has gone under? Who wouldn’t want this kind of a safety net for the business they worked so hard to have.
Join the ranks of those that offer a smoking option to their customers and enjoy the benefits for years to come.