Restaraunt or Bar -- Fayetteville Businesses Must Choose
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Updated: April 17, 2007
They`ve been getting by doing a little of both. Bars selling a limited menu of food. In return -- they have been allowed to permit smoking. But a move by Alligator Ray`s to change from a restaurant to a bar -- hence allowing their patrons to now smoke -- caused the city council to re-examine the ordinance. Now the line will be drawn at hot food. Starting May first -- any business or bar selling hot food will be considered a restaurant and smoking will no longer be allowed.
"I`ve always eaten here. I came in here when it was Coach`s back before the smoking ban was enacted," Andrew Clark is a customer at On the Mark -- a sports bar that serves some hot food. News that things will be changing came as a surprise.
Clark says, "It hit me kind of hard. I like to have my nachos or a burger here. They`ve got good food. And if anybody ever asks me to not smoke next to them while I`m sitting at the bar, I`ve got no problem with that."
So for for another month and ten days -- sports bars and other businesses will be figuring out exactly how they plan to adjust to the adjustment in enforcement.
A meeting between the 30 effected businesses and the chief of police is set for next Wednesday
