Denny's goes smokeless

Patrons seem pleased with decision

By Leslee Rasco
The Amarillo Independent

One of the local Denny's has hit a grand slam with customers.

A month before the smoking ban came to a May 10 citywide vote, the Denny's located at Interstate 40 and Ross snuffed out smokers in the restaurant, dropping its smoking section for business and health reasons.

Photo by Ralph Duke Smokeless: Brianna Bintliff serves Manager Bruce Wilson.

The decision to go non-smoking was a long time coming for the 24-hour restaurant.

According to Bruce Wilson, Denny's general manager, the restaurant offered smokers a section during the week but on the weekends the environment shifted and the smokers had to take it outside.

"Most of our customers are nonsmokers, including our locals and travelers," he said.

Contrary to belief that a smoking ban would decrease business revenues, Denny's has seen just the opposite — a rise in its business.

Wilson has seen a 5 to 10 percent jump in business after April 15, even with other economic factors playing against the restaurant.

"It was a lot of a business decision. A lot of our customers would complain that they could smell smoke, but it was also for the health benefits of our staff and customers," Wilson said.

Dropping the smoking section also cut the cost of maintaining the restaurant.

Before the smoking ban, Wilson would have to constantly run the fan at the back of the dining room to keep the air circulating. He also had to spend time and money cleaning the smoking section of the restaurant, which would be covered in grime, especially behind pictures, Wilson said.

The severs at Denny's also get a larger cut of the money pie.

"It's better station rotation for the wait staff," Wilson said.

Before the switch to non-smoking areas, the staff would have to rotate between the busy nonsmoking areas and the sometimes empty or small tables of the smoking section.

Rebecca Arnold, an Amarillo native and Denny's waitress, said, "With the restaurant going nonsmoking it has provided a more equitable situation for servers."

Brianna Bintliff, a waitress, has seen a significant jump in her tips since April 15. On average, before the restaurant went non-smoking, Bintliff said, she earned $50 to $60 a shift. Now, her earnings average $80 to $100 while working in a completely nonsmoking environment.

Bintliff has also seen a change in customers.

"The attitudes are much better. A lot of the customers just didn't like the smell or how cloudy it would get."

"We have had more positive comments from customers than negative ones and more people come in because it is nonsmoking," Wilson said.

E-mail comments about this story
to the publisher of The Amarillo Independent.

Posted: July 3, 2008