As the Ladue News article below indicates, some establishments are choosing to go smoke-free (some even outside) BEFORE the Clayton law and St. Louis County law goes into effect. 

Ladue News:  Smoking Laws Clear the Air
Thursday, April 8, 2010
 
The days of making eye contact with an attractive stranger across a smoke-filled room are coming to an end, at least at local restaurants. By January 2011, the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County will begin enforcing smoke-free ordinances in most restaurants and bars. Some areas, including Clayton and Kirkwood, have already imposed bans or will start this year.

"Clayton's amended ordinance goes into effect July 1," says Judy Kekich, communications coordinator for the city. "Restaurants and bars will be smoke-free, except for designated outdoor dining areas." At first, some bar and restaurant owners were against an extended ban, worried that it would hurt business in a fragile economy. "But they've come around since the economy has shown signs of recovery," she says. "Our residents are overwhelmingly for it. In fact, 77 percent of responders in a resident survey want the ban."

Some owners decided not to wait for the ban to go into effect. "We've never allowed smoking in our dining room, and we finally banned it from the bar area in January," says Carmelo Gabriele, who co-owns Il Bel Lago in Creve Coeur with his brother, Frank. "Diners had complained about their experience being spoiled when they exited the restaurant through the smoky bar, and an increasing number of bar customers were saying it was too bad they couldn't enjoy a cocktail or listen to music in a smoke-free environment."

But a major reason for the decision was that he, his brother and their staff were tired of the smell. "We'd come in at 8:30 a.m., and the entire place would reek of it, even though we confined smoking to the bar," Gabriele recalls. "It was so bad, we'd sauté garlic in the middle of the dining room to get rid of the smell! So Frank and I started contemplating how much business we stood to lose by outlawing smoking."

Their calculated risk has paid off. "Believe it or not, our bar business is up 35 percent since we banned smoking," Gabriele says. "The word's getting out, and we're actually attracting new customers who want a smoke-free environment."

Another restaurant that has banned smoking before the law goes into effect is Paul Mineo's Trattoria at Westport Plaza, opened in 2007 by husband-and-wife team Paul and Brigitte Mineo. Brigitte Mineo has a personal reason for imposing the ban: "My husband, Paul, died last July after a brave battle with cancer," she explains. "We honestly thought he would live through it, so I wanted to create a healthy environment for him in the restaurant. When he didn't make it, I decided to ban smoking anyway, because it's the right thing to do for our employees and patrons."

So far, Mineo hasn't received a single complaint, even though she has extended the ban to the restaurant's outdoor patio area, even though it is not prohibited there by ordinance. "Customers thank me constantly--no one wants to spend money on a beautiful meal only to have it ruined by cigarette smoke. If anyone on the patio asks their server for an ashtray, I'll personally go to their table and explain why we've banned cigarettes. I don't think I'll get any arguments."

Robert Trevino, owner of Amigo's Cantina in Kirkwood, also has outlawed smoking both indoors and out. "Kirkwood's smoking ban went into effect Jan. 2, but Amigo's has been smoke-free from day one," he says. "It's a choice based on personal preference: As a customer, I always hated having lunch on a patio on a beautiful day and having somebody spoil it by blowing smoke in my face."

Amigo's has a more casual ambience than either Il Bel Lago and Paul Mineo's Trattoria and does a brisk bar business. And even though smoking and drinking often go hand in hand, Trevino says he hasn't had to deal with disgruntled patrons. "Are you kidding? They thank me! It's actually increased my business. People appreciate the chance to enjoy great food and fellowship in a healthy atmosphere."