Let's hear it for the Park Tavern!
Check out the Letter to the Editor in the newspaper today:
Park Tavern to ban smoking
Published: March 21. 2007 6:00AM
As of April 14, one of the oldest family-owned taverns in Erie County will become nonsmoking -- not because of mandate, public protest, judicial intervention or lopsided politics.
But simply and rationally because it has to be done for the health and well-being of our patrons and employees. Our business (the Park Tavern in Lawrence Park) can no longer contest the inevitable, pretending that the environment in which we serve countless families and children can continue to be smoker-friendly.
So now at the crossroads, boom or bust, our family finds itself facing one of the hardest decisions it will ever find itself privileged enough to make.
On April 14 at 1 p.m., the doors will be open, the ashtrays will be put away, the air cleansers will be turned off and we have no idea what to expect. We can only hope that those of you who wish for a nonsmoking environment support us, and that those of you who do smoke understand what we have done and why.
To inform yourself and others about this issue, we urge you to visit www.cdc.gov/tobacco.
Chris Leszek and the Leszek family (owners of the Park Tavern)
This is most welcome news at the Cass house. My husband's all-time favorite place to go for chicken wings is the Park Tavern (they're located on Route 5 in Lawrence Park near the old Harborcreek Mall).
We haven't been there in quite a while though because every time we went there we had to suck in a half a pack of cigarettes from the table sitting next to us (it's close quarters at the Park). Last time we were there, the woman that I was seated back to back with was chain smoking. When she left, another chain smoker sat down. Eating in a cloud of smoke is just not real appetizing so we quit going there.
We plan to eat dinner there on the first day they go smoke-free -- provided we can find a sitter on April 14th. Or maybe we'll just take the kids with us now that we know they won't have to inhale carcinogens while we eat.
Kudos to Park Tavern for having the foresight and courage to clear the air!