Bracing for the storm

[Flood]

Word just came down from the corporate pipeline that starting june 1st, all slutty mermaid coffee shops in the US and Canada will no longer allow smoking in the outdoor seating area or within 25 feet of any entrance.

I'd say about half of our regulars are heavy smokers as well as a third of our baristas. And then there's all the travelers getting off the interstate stopping to stretch their legs and smoke while their non-smoking companions come inside to order.

Our guidelines are to ask people nicely to stop, direct them to the corporate complaint line if they're upset, and call the cops when they start throwing a fit.

Can't wait

[blas]

When our local mall went under renovations to add an Ulta store, they ended up losing one of the main entrances, which is one of two places where there were tons of garbages/ashtrays and seats. Now there's only one spot, and on the doors it says to stay back at least 25 feet to smoke.

Well, 25 feet really isn't that far. And since I usually park at Macy's to avoid huge traffic jams and idiots, I usually just finish my smoke in my car before I walk in anyway. I usually don't need a smoking break that bad.

[fma_fanatic]

A lot of places that have gone smoke free usually have some sort of city/county ordinance that the smokers must be 25 feet away from the entrance. It's getting the establishments to enforce the rule. A lot are afraid to because they don't want to lose customers.

[sms001]

Good luck Flood. Any word on who gets the duty of policing the policy?

[EricKei]

Will they actually allow you guys to post nice big "no smoking" signs for customers to ignore?

.... and call the cops when they start throwing a fit.

Can't wait

You have phrased this correctly...WHEN they start throwing a fit, not IF

It's getting the establishments to enforce the rule.

I have seldom seen any places other than hospitals actually enforcing the "X feet from the outer door" rule (or law, for certain types of places) at all. They'll be gung ho about enforcing it inside, and in any "outdoor' patio areas that are within the structure, but even public universities I have attended/visited and government buildings will often have at least a small gauntlet of smokers outside getting their fix right next to the doors. Hey, if they wanna smoke, that's fine by me, but maybe doing so while standing in between the door and the "no smoking this close to the door" sign is a bad idea >_>

[Headset Hellion]

I wonder what they're planning to at stores like the one we have here. They're attached to the mall with 2 entrances, one inside the mall and one outside. The outside door is right next to the mall's main entrance. There is no city ordinance here to prevent people from smoking outside the mall entrance; in fact there's a butt can right there.

[Flood]

The one positive note: we're trying to find out if this means we can ask people to stop smoking at us from the drive thru window.

[dalesys]

The one positive note: we're trying to find out if this means we can ask people to stop smoking at us from the drive thru window.

And will you be issued the squirt guns on a pump like at the fair for enforcement...

[EricKei]

dale - I find that fire hoses work ever so much better. Especially at the drive-thru.

[taeraresh]

Will they actually allow you guys to post nice big "no smoking" signs for customers to ignore?
You have phrased this correctly...WHEN they start throwing a fit, not IF

I have seldom seen any places other than hospitals actually enforcing the "X feet from the outer door" rule (or law, for certain types of places) at all. They'll be gung ho about enforcing it inside, and in any "outdoor' patio areas that are within the structure, but even public universities I have attended/visited and government buildings will often have at least a small gauntlet of smokers outside getting their fix right next to the doors. Hey, if they wanna smoke, that's fine by me, but maybe doing so while standing in between the door and the "no smoking this close to the door" sign is a bad idea >_>

We enforce it, including disciplining employees who violate it. We're a hardware store, though, so we have (among other flammable stuff) tanks of propane sitting around.

[Pimento]

Lol hate to break it to you. But since like 2000 the LAW in Canada has been no smoking in doors (at all. Ever) in a business of any kind. And no smoking within 25 feet of any entrance (including drive thru windows)

[Pixilated]

*snip* ... slutty mermaid coffee shops ... *snip*

Nice description!

Lol hate to break it to you. But since like 2000 the LAW in Canada has been no smoking in doors (at all. Ever) in a business of any kind. And no smoking within 25 feet of any entrance (including drive thru windows)

Many years ago quite a few of They're Everywhere!! coffee/doughnut shops built special enclosed enclaves for smoking clients ... only to have the government come along a few years later and tell them it was all for naught, as nobody would be allowed to sit inside and smoke, period. (I should add these enclosed enclaves exited directly outdoors in most cases, not into the non-smoking area.) Thank goodness this was a huge chain that could afford to dismantle everything and merely pass the cost along to its customers ...

[Pimento]

Yeah. I know when I was welding I would have a cigar under my helmet and be welding too. Though I never ever had the "gotta have a smoke" deal. Never had a "habbit". In a sucker for monte cristo #1s. Ya know, my birthday is coming up.......

Anyways :P when they canned smoking indoors in all businesses, suddenly the floors were COVERED in sunflower seeds from the co workers who couldn't live without lol. Until they got into machinery .etc and we had to can those too