There's a note on Cempazuchi's front door. It simply states that the restaurant and bar will go smoke free in September.
"We will go smoke free on Tuesday, Sept. 4. We decided to put up a notice so as to give people a heads up regarding the decision and some time to let it process, " says owner Bryce Clark.
Clarke says it's an issues that he's "struggled" with for a while, but feels now it is "time to do what I feel is the right thing for our customers and our employees." He continues, "I have noticed in the last year a larger number of people wanting a smoke free environment and causing them to have to make a decision as to whether they would eat at the restaurant or go somewhere else. I was also observing people from other parts of the country eating here and being amazed that there still are places where you can smoke."
"It shouldn't be a deciding factor stopping anyone from coming in here if what they really want is a great dining experience, and the best margarita in the city," adds Clarke.
Since the notice has gone up, Cempazuchi staff has heard only positive feedback. Clarke knows that there will be some that don't agree, he's hoping that it's a small minority.
As the state and city consider similar bans, Clarke says he is "in favor of an across the board all restaurants and bars going non-smoking.
"This creates a level playing field for everyone and with states all around us doing the same thing, no one can say they can go to the next town or village or even state, if they want to smoke. Whether we like these decisions or not, I believe that more and more states will continue this trend and I decided not to wait," says Clarke.
A life-long and passionate community leader and Milwaukeean, Jeff Sherman is a co-founder of OnMilwaukee.
He grew up in Wauwatosa and graduated from Marquette University, as a Warrior. He holds an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University, and is the founding president of Young Professionals of Milwaukee (YPM)/Fuel Milwaukee.
Early in his career, Sherman was one of youngest members of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, and currently is involved in numerous civic and community groups - including board positions at The Wisconsin Center District, Wisconsin Club and Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. He's honored to have been named to The Business Journal's "30 under 30" and Milwaukee Magazine's "35 under 35" lists.
He owns a condo in Downtown and lives in greater Milwaukee with his wife Stephanie, his son, Jake, and daughter Pierce. He's a political, music, sports and news junkie and thinks, for what it's worth, that all new movies should be released in theaters, on demand, online and on DVD simultaneously.
He also thinks you should read OnMilwaukee each and every day.
