By Jim Mimiaga

Cortez restaurants that have recently made the health-conscious leap to go smoke-free are reporting no loss of business because of their decision. In fact, all that clean air works to attract more customers.

"Now we smell like good food instead of stale cigarette smoke," said Jean Larsen, manager of Pippo’s Coffee Bar on Main Street, which became a smoke-free establishment in October 1998. "We probably have 30 more regulars since switching to non-smoking, so we definitely have no regrets."

While many die-hard smokers are forever demanding the right to light up anywhere anytime, non-smokers in Cortez are enjoying a local trend that respects their right to breathe clean air while dining out.

A recent survey of smoke-free eateries revealed that the ban has chased away some regulars, but brought in just as many more patrons who could do without a malodorous, smoky haze while eating.

"Initially we had some negative comments and lost some customers," said Homesteaders Restaurant owner Bill Vicary, "but the positive comments have far outweighed the negative and business is just as good."

Dividing restaurants into non-smoking and smoking sections does not always work well, he said, and requires expensive remodeling, patios, good ventilation systems, and often ends up just as smoky as before.

"We wrestled with the issue for several years, trying to appease both groups," Vicary said. "The wait staff was for it because they recognize how offensive smokers are to non-smokers and all the difficulties that presents with seating.

"What did it was one Christmas we has several tables full of smokers up front, and they literally cleared out the rest of the restaurant. So we put up a sign that day and its been real nice ever since; I should have done it earlier."

Studies show that secondhand smoke is a health hazard, especially for children, and it is doubly harmful for people suffering from asthma or for those needing supplemental oxygen. That has spurred several states and cities to pass laws forcing restaurants and bars to go smoke-free, a heavy-handed infringement that M&M Truck Stop general manager David Manning and other owners do not support. Manning, along with M&M owner Mark Larson, now a representative in the state legislature, decided to go smoke-free after conducting research that indicated that, contrary to the stereotype, only 40 percent of truckers actually smoke.

"We switched our clientele somewhat and we lost some customers but I think we have brought in just as many, a lot more families. Kids seem to especially like it because they when they eat here their parents aren’t allowed to smoke," Manning said.

The M&M staff is still feeling the backlash, though, since going smoke-free. "They call us communists and say we’re taking away their rights and all that, especially on cold days. Some have been telling other truckers not to come here, but we see that as free advertising because we found that most truckers do not smoke."

He points out that it is important for businesses to have the choice rather than allowing the government to decide. Larson, who is allergic to cigarette smoke, does not support a statewide ban on smoking, preferring instead to leave that decision up to individual business owners and managers.

The drawback is losing favorite customers, some of whom have migrated to the Ute Coffee Shop, where a smoker can still dive into a Denver omelette and then light up afterward knowing that an ashtray is nearby.

"I miss visiting with some of my old friends who used to come in all the time and talk," Manning said. "But we made a collective decision not to have smoking, and we’ve gotten used to not having the smell of cigarette smoke."

Not all smokers boycott non-smoking establishments. "Some of our heavy-smoker customers still come in; they just step outside with the waitstaff when they need to smoke," Vicary said.