Perhaps Too Soon to Tell But It Doesn't Look Good!

Letters: Smoke is cleared, but clean air crowd MIA

I’m owner of Frank’s Pizza Palace in downtown Appleton. Recently, my sons and I had an incredible lunch as we patronized our neighbors down the street at Spats. One topic of conversation with owners Julie and Bill was “where should we hang our $80 outdoor ashtrays we bought from Appleton Downtown Inc.”

We both “rode the fence” in regard to the smoking ban because we’re in the hospitality industry to please all of our customers.

Spats has had people dine because it is now smoke-free. A good customer told me he enjoys sitting “up front” at Frank’s, where the action is (formerly the smoking section). However, we haven’t noticed any of the thousands of “clean air” folks come in.

Spats lost a Tuesday group of lunch guys — $50 a week. I lost a local Friday group — $50 a week. Together, those alone represent $5,200 a year in lost sales.

Maybe we’ll both save that on our building insurance since we’re smoke- free? Oops, sorry, both of our annual premiums went up more than $1,500 each. Ouch. Don’t even ask about our new building assessments and increase in taxes. Skip the lady that literally blew smoke in my face June 30 as midnight approached.

When I was 12, and visited my father, Frank Pierri, at the “Pizza Joint,” he taught me about the dairy market and how it would affect the price of mozzarella and pork for our pizza. The first day of the ban, I put a flowerpot of sand for cigarette butts outside the front door. Today, my 12-year-old was out front sweeping up butts and sand from the person who stole my flower pot last night and conveniently dumped it in front of my restaurant door.

The bottom line for the hospitality industry in Appleton? Way too soon to tell.

So sayeth Jeannie Pierri Brice in the July 14^th Appleton Post Crescent. Franks serves good pizza and it would be a shame they have to close shop because of the silliness the health police are enforcing.