"But if it's state wide, no reastaurant owner in the middle of the state is going to care."
Don't they realize that some of us will just decide to eat out less frequently? After all, I'm a pretty good cook, and cooking at home is cheaper anyway. If I really want the aura of service, I can always hire a local teenager to flatter us, serve us, and forget to bring my second margarita. ;)
In fact, I'm starting to wonder right now, why DO we go out once a week? They really shouldn't get us to thinking like this.
By the way, when they banned smoking in the malls, I drasticallly reduced my time shopping in malls, not coincidentally reducing money spent as well. Never regretted it, either!
I had a friend who owns a restaurant, and before the controversy of a smoking ban cranked up in our town he had already started having No-smoking Mondays. But when the controversy erupted, he started really promoting it. But his No-Smoking Mondays actually saw a loss of business. His restaurant, around 10 p.m. or so, becomes a hang-out for the drinking college students who, on Mondays, found somewhere else to go.
I guess I'm getting old, but I don't really need to go out any more. If it doesn't have a drive up window, I don't need it. I've tasted all the crap they serve in restaurents and I've seen all the crap they sell in the mall. The internet has everything I need, almost.
(But me so ronery!!! :)