It’s not uncommon for business owners to look for creative ways to get around smoking bans. Remember Minnesota’s theater nights? What is unusual is a judge advising an offender on how to find a loophole:
That’s what put [bar owner Frank] Schnarrs in court last Friday. Thurston County said he was breaking the state law which bars smoking in public places. But judge Richard Hicks surprised everyone by suggesting there was a way to get around the smoking ban.
“Maybe if you had a membership, private club, and charged something more than the cost of food and drink to be a member, you could get around it that way,” Hicks said from the bench.
So Frankie’s second floor bar turned private with a yearly membership fee.
It’s unclear yet if the plan will work and Schnarrs faces jail time if it doesn’t. Here’s hoping he pulls it off.
[Via Cigar Jack.]
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Jacob Grier is a freelance writer, barista, and bartender in Portland, OR. He writes, eats, and drinks a lot. His articles about food, drink, and consumer freedom have appeared in The Washington Post, LATimes.com, Reason Online, and other publications.
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