Smoking the competition at Beijing's smoke-free eateries
Though there were "empty tables at the city's first no-smoking restaurant," Meizhou Dongpo, as reported by China Daily, three of Beijing's prominent smoke-free canteens have had exactly the opposite experience. "Every night we take two rounds of seating, and all nights are fully booked well in advance. We're just as busy," boasted John Wang, Manager of Grand Hyatt's staggeringly successful restaurant Made in China (MiC), following the decision to offer both smoking and non-smoking sections. "Business has not been affected at all," agreed Susan, owner of Passby Bar, which ceded half its dining space to non-smoking diners almost six months ago. "Some people don't like it-old customers who've been smoking here for years-but otherwise, people are happy. I know I'm happy with it!"

According to Gaby Alves, founder-owner of SALT, although some customers are a bit resistant to the restriction that only those at the bar can take a drag, once the rationale is explained, they appreciate the concept behind the restaurant's "contemporary kitchen, where everything is about fresh ingredients, oriented toward healthy options." At MiC, the food is such a draw that the smoking clientele is quick to accept non-smoking seating at first mention of an available table.

As to whether "other restaurants will decide to go non-smoking as well," Wang is a dash skeptical: "maybe in a few years?" Passby's Susan doubts this trend will spread, even after new government regulations. "How are they going to control it? Are they going to fine every person smoking indoors?" Gaby, on the other hand, is optimistic-"sure, we'll start seeing this tendency."

It would be a welcome development if more restaurants did, in fact, begin to delimit where smokers are permitted to feed their nicotine needs. Beijing's vegetarian spots have always been entirely smoke-free, and the swanky Red Capital Club keeps members happy with the very same promise. But if this trend does stall because business diminishes, at least those of us averse to second-hand smoke will always have the true originators of non-smoking dining in China: KFC and McD's. Now that's fine dining, for sure.

Manuela Zoninsein