Minnesota’s public smoking act could cause major problems for restaurants, two New Ulm restaurant owners warn.

The law — the Clean Indoor Air Act — goes into effect today, but it is questionable whether indoor air in New Ulm is going to be cleaned up substantially because of it.

Most bars and offices surveyed indicated that they will deal with the law by declaring their entire buildings smoking areas, while restaurant proprietors debated the merits of the act.

“It presents enormous problems,” says Don Veigel of Veigel’s Kaiserhoff.

“No question about it,” adds Franke Boese of the Fireside Restaurant, “the customer’s going to pay for this.”

Gerhardt Christ of Restaurant Eibner, on the other hand, pointing out that offering separate areas for smokers and non-smokers is common in European countries, said he believes there is a need for the law.

“I think it’s about time we got to it here,” Christ says.

MANY OWNERS of restaurants or bars expressed concern that they haven’t received any direction from the state as far as implementing the law.

Sgt. Howard Zins of the New Ulm Police Department points out, however, that the state does not generally inform people directly of new laws.

“They do it through the news media, radio, TV, or newspapers,”he says.

According to the law, no public building other than a bar may be designated as a smoking area in its entirety.

Spokesmen for Danny’s Bar, Office Bar and Lounge, Shorty’s Place and Joey’s Bar all indicated that they will make use of that provision in the law.

“It’s pretty hard not to smoke in a bar,” Thelma Mikkelson of Office Bar says.

Ebert’s Chalet Restaurant will designate the north side of its building non-smoking, with the center and south sides designated as smoking areas, according to Wally Ebert.

CHRIST INDICATES that five downstairs booths and about a third of the upstairs portion of Eibner’s will be non-smoking areas.

“I think we will adjust it as we see what the need is,” he says.

Veigel says that Kaiserhoff hasn’t yet determined how it will cope with the law, while Boese, when asked what areas at Fireside would be split, responded “the parking lot will be for non-smokers.”

Both Veigel and Boese pointed to space utilization problems during peak restaurant hours.

“Let’s say you’ve got a night when you get a full house or you anticipate a full house,” Boese explains.”What you have to end up doing is asking people when they make reservations, you have to set aside spaces for non-smokers.”

VEIGEL says that if there is a waiting line of smokers, he would be wasting space by not allowing them to sit at tables in an area designated for non-smokers.

“I think it’s one of the most asinine laws I ever saw,” he adds.

Ebert points out that his restaurant has never received a complaint from a non-smoker about a smoker.

“I think it’s ridiculous personally,” he says. “If I’m sitting in an area where there are strangers sitting close to me not smoking, I’d ask them if they mind if I smoke.That’s the courteous thing to do.”

Christ says that he has heard complaints from non smokers who say they get physically sick if they have to breathe in cigarette or cigar smoke.

“I think there are a lot of people who don’t want to smoke, and there will be a good response to the law,”he adds.

A POSSIBLE PROBLEM the law creates, some of the restaurant owners indicated, is dealing with a customer who decides to light a cigarette in a non-smoking area. All say they would simply inform the customer of the law.

“Apparently at this time,” adds Sgt. Zins, “the enforcement is up to the state. The city has not sent anything out on it.

“I suppose they (the state) will smoothly slide into this and be a little lenient at first. If they get complaints from a customer, they might come down and check it out.”

New Ulm Daily Journal

August 1, 1975