Restaurant owners blast law changes that could hurt their businesses
MAIN LIBRARY Restaurateurs will be meeting with representatives from the City Attorney’s Office here today to voice their concerns about a proposed change to Santa Monica’s comprehensive smoking ban that would hold them liable for their customers’ bad habits.
Business owners are not comfortable with being made responsible for policing their customers and want to know what City Hall is doing to spread the word about the smoking ban, which prohibits people from lighting up in any outdoor dining area.
Additionally, many can’t understand why City Hall is considering a change to the law during the holidays — one of the busiest times of the year for business owners. They feel the change is unnecessary at this point in time.
The City Council is expected to debate the proposal on Nov. 27.
“A lot of people are trying to cooperate, but they are concerned about having to enforce the law on their own customers,” said Laurel Rosen, president of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, which along with the Convention and Visitors Bureau, hosted a meeting last week with hotel operators to talk about the ban.
“Many people also want to know what the city is doing as far as marketing,” Rosen added. “Many feel that is the most important thing — getting the informa-
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 20, 2007. Read the original PDF.