I talked to Scott Johnson again yesterday about his business, The Fuel Cafe, going non-smoking. Everything he said was well-put and poignant, so here's the bulk of our conversation:

OnMilwaukee.com: So, Fuel is really going non-smoking?

Scott Johnson: Yeah. We've been pondering this for several years. We would get convinced to do it, then think about it too much and worry that we would lose our existing clientele, be totally uncool, be seen as sellouts, that kind of thing. Then our air conditioning broke down and we had to go the whole summer without A/C; we employed a screen door, opened the windows, lots of fans. And you know what we realized? Besides it being a bit warm in there, you could actually breathe. There was smoking, yes, but there was a ton of fresh air and it smelled so much better and that's how we decided to do it. Traveling to New York or Los Angeles or even Madison and having a night out on the town didn't mean smelling like ass when you got home or got up the next morning. Just like Comet, we weren't ignorant to the fact that running in to get a cup of coffee shouldn't have to mean smelling like the place for the rest of the day! Also, many of our original, long time and loyal customers who came in as kids and smoked, now have kids of their own, don't smoke anymore and won't come in because they and/or their kids don't want to be around it. And that is totally understandable.

OMC: Are you personally against smoking?

SJ: I know that a lot of our customers are going to be super bummed. But it's a concept whose time has come. I still smoke, and understand that it's a personal choice to do or not do it, but we serve food and the two don't mix. If it's where alcohol is served it's a bit more understandable, but that change is coming soon too, sooner than anyone might think. Milwaukee and Wisconsin are one of the last few hold outs, and smoking is no Alamo. We don't feel like there is some great ideal to stand and fight for. It's a massive cultural shift and must be recognized as such. So, I'm not against smoking, just smoking where it irritates the sh-t out of other people and affects our business.

OMC: So you feel really good about the decision to ban smoking at Fuel?

SJ: We thought that being one of the last remaining hold-outs would help our business, but it really hasn't. It is the end of an era. It feels weird, but that's the way it is. Things change. What people want has changed, what Leslie (Montemurro) and I want has changed. But it's important to remember that Fuel will always be weird, be different, be Fuel. Quitting smoking won't change that! A year from now no one will even think about it...