Applebee's will ban smoking

Tribune Chronicle ^ | 05/11/04 | Staff, wire reports

[MissTargets]

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Applebee's restaurants in Niles and Boardman will be among those in Ohio that will go nonsmoking after a decision by Thomas and King, the nation's 11th-largest restaurant operator, the company announced Monday.

The policy at the Niles restaurant will take effect Monday and be implemented at all stores by month's end, the company said. Robert Holmes, 83, of Warren said he'd like to see other restaurants follow Applebee's lead in the no-smoking policy.

''Second-hand smoke is known to be bad for people,'' Holmes said Monday at the Eastwood Mall. ''Smoking spoils my dinner.''

Holmes, a former tobacco user, said he has eaten at Applebee's in Niles several times.

Besides Ohio, the smoking ban also will take effect at the franchise company's Applebee's and Johnny Carino's restaurants in Kentucky, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Indiana locations, the company said. Franchises owned by other operators would not be affected.

Mike Scanlon, Thomas and King's chairman and chief executive officer and vice-mayor of Lexington, was a vocal supporter of the city's indoor smoking ban that went into effect April 27. Scanlon said the timing of the company's action was coincidental.

''I can see both sides of the issue,'' Scanlon said. ''However, as a businessman, I need to listen to my customers and do what I believe is right for my business.

''While this decision will inconvenience a small percentage of our customers, I am certain that our new policy will attract many new customers who are seeking a smoke-free dining experience,'' he added.

Some of Thomas and King's nearly 80 restaurants already are smoke-free, including those in cities with municipal smoking bans such as Lexington and Tucson, Ariz. Scanlon said three restaurants the company has opened in the last year - one each in Arizona, Ohio and Kentucky - are smoke-free by choice.

Six months ago, the company banned smoking for employees. Scanlon said two of the company's nearly 6,000 workers quit over the issue.

Applebee's, based in Overland Park, Kansas, operates about one-third of its locations with the rest run as franchises.

[cupcakes]

Hey, how did we end up over here with this--LOL--yeah, I got that rude awakening when I attended an "inclusive" homeschool group meeting.

I'm going to be induced in 10 days--730 am--yippee. I've never went that far so I could go into labor next week sometime on my own--we'll just have to wait and see.

[Gabz]

I always try to go out of my way to compliment the parents of the well behaved children.

It's a good thing we live so far apart...........you wouldn't be complimenting me on my parenting skills at the moment. I guess it's spring fever or something, but my child has been absolutely a little devil lately - and she knows it. She hasn't been taken to a restaurant in more than a month because of her behavior the last time we went out for dinner. She's been an absolute angel in the supermarket lately, so I guess we are ready for another test of her ability to behave the way she knows she should. But the experiment will be done in a kid-friendly place.

Prior to becoming a parent I didn't care for mannerless children in certain types of places, and I refuse to inflict my child on folks that have similar positions.

[netmilsmom]

>>you wouldn't be complimenting me on my parenting skills at the moment.<<

Aw come on, Lady!!! You know we are like minded when it comes to parenting skills.
Do you know the difference between those parents I am speaking of and you? You see that your child (along with every other kid) are not perfect. Some fail to see that!

[netmilsmom]

>>Her SOB husband had strangled her 3 days earlier.<<

That is horrible!

[netmilsmom]

>>I'm going to be induced in 10 days--730 am--yippee. I've never went that far so I could go into labor next week sometime on my own--we'll just have to wait and see.<<

I am SOOOO excited for you!
My Goddaughter was set to be induced and her water broke the night before. I have never heard of an easier birth. Five hours, two pushes, no epidural AND this is her first baby!
I have to say, some people were meant to breed. (Not me.)

[CSM]

"It just seems like a huge imposition on those who don't smoke............."

......to allow private property owners to make the decision to allow smoking. After all, "When I moved to California and found myself in public areas that were smoke-free, I have to tell you it was so much better."

Now, do you support the government bans of smoking on private property?

[Gabz]

We really don't disagree all that much.

I do not and never have advocated that anyone smoke, pregnant or not. I choose to do so, and that is what it is, a choice. Please believe me that I didn't just 'say' I cut back to make anyone happy, I really and truly did, and have never gone back to the level I smoked prior to becoming pregnant (and she'll be 6 in July)

Contrary to what many around here will tell you about me, I'm not an addict to nicotine. I can't say the same about caffeine. I learned first hand just how bad and painful withdrawl from that is 20 years ago.

Pepsi had just come out with it's answer to 7-UP, the no-caffeine SLICE and the radio station I worked at had a big advertising contract with the local Pepsi plant. 12 hours a day we were giving away 5 cases of the stuff hourly. A Pepsi truck showed up at the station 3 times a week to restock the supply. They also added plenty to the supplies for the staff of the station.

Within a week nearly all of the day staff of the station were suffering from migraine level headaches and we couldn't figure out why. When several of us sat down for lunch the following week and started discussing it we figured it out. We had gone from non-stop coffee consumption from 5am-6pm to drinking decaf soda by noon. The headaches were the caffeine withdrawl.

You are obviously due any time now..............I expect to see pictures of the newest addition to the cupcakes family posthaste. Big hugs and kisses extended your way.

[CSM]

I'll still thank you for taking the responsible route to handling the problem. If I am in a kid friendly place, then I have a kid friendly attitude. However, lately I have been in a couple of not so kid freindly places and the hoodlums are running around the bar area. In one case, I even had one of their parents ask me to not smoke while they had their kids in the bar. I told him he better hope I smoke more to help pay for the schools and parks he needs!

[Gabz]

I know we are of like minds when it comes to parenting skills and knowing the difference between the children that are being raised properly and those that aren't.


She's been an absolute terror of late. I don't wish to inflict her on anyone I know, let alone folks spending money to have an evening out that I don't know.


Eating in a restaurant is a privilege....abuse it and you lose it.

That's a parental decision, similar to the business decision of Applebee's to go non-smoking. Nobody from the government had to tell me what to do.

[Gabz]

Yes, it is horrible. As I said, to this day just remembering the story causes me to cry. And I don't ever dare bring it up to my friend. In the nearly 20 years I have known her I had never ever seen her cry or smoke a cigarette before or since (except at the funeral)

[Gabz]

Five hours, two pushes, no epidural AND this is her first baby! I have to say, some people were meant to breed. (Not me.)

Oh you're going to hate me............the nurse practioner was screaming for the OB to show up while I was screaming at the tech taking blood to get the needle out of my arm. I was holding my baby less than 45 minutes after my water broke.

I'm no hero and totally despise needles, but both the OB and my husband knew that I was all in favor of drugs for pain................there was never any time.

[Hildy]

NO, I don't...but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy it and think it's better not to smoke. However, I think private property owners have the right to decide that issue for themselves.

[Hildy]

It never ceases to amaze me the lengths people will go to defend their addictions. YES, you have the right, but just listen to yourselves. You got angry at me for saying I PREFER being in an area that's smoke-free. You accuse me of lying about becoming ill after being forced to inhale smoke. I defend your right to smoke, but don't you dare minize my right to think it's absolutely disgusting.

[CSM]

Glad to hear that you support the private property rights of the owners of the establishments. I also support those rights, even in this case, as well as I support your right to not enter smoking allowed establishments and my right to chose not to frequent Applebees restaurant.

[netmilsmom]

>>She's been an absolute terror of late. <<

Honestly, mine have been crazy themselves. The four year old has had breakdown hissy fits (and banished to the bedroom because of it) and the six year old has found a mouth that won't quit.
Maybe it's the weather.

[stands2reason]

.....right over his head.

[CSM]

Where did I defend an addiction? Where did I accuse you of lying about smoking irritating you?

I got angry at you for openly supporting the results of faulty government intervention in the free market. You never defended anyone's right to smoke on private property, instead you admitted to enjoying the spoils of government legislation eliminating that choice from property owners.

Do you support more government when it is convenient for you and only fight it when it attacks one of your rights?

[netmilsmom]

>>The headaches were the caffeine withdrawl.<<

That is a big part of my problem at the beginning of gestating!

[Gabz]

I would have had a serious problem with such a person.

There is a place we like to frequent that has a kid friendly attitude, during the day. At night it is definitely an adult establishment. Because we so rarely go out at night it has never become an issue

But with that said, as much as the owner of the place loves kids, she would send the type of people you describe to the totally seperate non-smoking section of the establishment.

And before the anti-smoker gnatz jump on my case about smoking and non-smoking sections - the non-smoking section of this establishment is actually a seperate building.

[netmilsmom]

>>Oh you're going to hate me............the nurse practioner was screaming for the OB to show up while I was screaming at the tech taking blood to get the needle out of my arm. I was holding my baby less than 45 minutes after my water broke.<<

You're right. I hate you ;-).

(27 1/2 hours with the older one and 11 hours, 1 1/2 of hard labor and an emergency c-section with the other)