Gulfport smoking ban has restaurant owner steaming
GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) – Eight months ago, Ricky Dombrowski supported Gulfport’s smoking ban. But after watching almost 30% of his profits go up in smoke, he’s had a change of heart. Dombrowski is now pushing for a modification to the smoking ban, before it snuffs out his restaurant.
Dombrowski has received two calls from Gulfport police, warning him that smoking inside Skeeters is illegal. But if he obeys the law, he says his Gulfport business could close.
In the first three months after smoking was banned, his restaurant revenues dropped more than 30%. So, in August, he started to look the other way when people wanted to smoke. By October, he put out ashtrays.
Source: WLOX-TV. Link.