Since the Michigan Smoking Ban was announced last year, there have been a lot of articles written about Robusto’s Martini Lounge in Grosse Pointe, and its exemption from the ban. Even the lounge’s own website states that they’re exempt from the ban and that they’ll allow cigar smoking after May 1st.
Yesterday (April 22nd), I shot down to Grosse Pointe to meet a friend at Robusto’s to catch up over a martini and enjoy a great Padron 4000. I also really wanted to talk to someone there and confirm first-hand that they had an exemption.
There has been a lot of discussion on this blog over the intricacies of the smoking ban and the exemptions that have been issued. Perhaps the most confusing aspect is the serving of food and beverages.
It was my previous assumption that if a bar or restaurant was issued an exemption, they would need to isolate the area where cigars are smoked from the portion of the restaurant/bar where food and alcohol is consumed. Now it seems as though if an exemption is issued, the establishment is exempt from any of the smoking ban’s requirements.
Simply put: If you qualify for all of the criteria required to earn an exemption, none of the rules of the smoking ban apply to you. Not a bad situation, if it ends up to be true.
Many of the places that should be exempt from the smoking ban have separate, walled-off areas for cigar smokers (Fuse in Rochester, Big Rock Chophouse in Birmingham).
This was the most perplexing aspect of the Robusto’s exemption from my perspective. Even if they were only to allow smoking in the upstairs are (where the humidors are), it’s still not a separate room.
After speaking with the people at Robusto’s yesterday evening, they’re quite sure that they’re exempt from the ban. Great news for a location that has been a perfect place for cigar smokers in Detroit to gather for many years.
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Mike
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Mike
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Mr. Bojangles
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Mike
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Mr. Bojangles
