From its decorations to its logo and even its name a new Johnson City restaurant is catering specifically to smokers. Smokies on East Oakland Avenue recently opened its doors to customers 21 and up. By only catering to adults, Tennessee law permits the restaurant to allow smoking. It’s one of the few exceptions granted by lawmakers when they passed the statewide Tennessee smoking ban more than two years ago.
Smokies' owners created the restaurant with smokers’ needs in mind.
"I have a lot of friends who smoke and they don't have no place to drink coffee and eat and smoke,” co-owner Rene Rosales said. “That's why we decided to do it. There aren’t many places around and there’s a lot of smokers, so I think we’re going to do good here.”
So far, several smokers have become regulars at the eatery. Bill West eats there weekly.
“A lot of our rights have been taken away from us and I think we have a right as smokers to smoke and I’m glad we’re in a place where can smoke,” West said. “It’s good to have a warm place where you can sit down and enjoy a hot cup of coffee and a cigarette and relax and not have to freeze to death.”
Although a good chunk of Smokies customers are smokers, non-smokers are also welcome at the restaurant.
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