"Why did we take our 77 Applebee's smokefree? It's good for business. I've got the numbers to prove it." Mike Scanlon | CEO, Thomas & King, Lexington, KY We serve 435,000 patrons every week," says Mike Scanlon. "And as of June, 2004, all 77 of our Applebee's are 100% smokefree. "Everyone in our Midwest focus groups last year said to go smoke-free. And I knew from our locations in smokefree communities that there would be no problem financially. "It's all about building traffic and giving guests what they want. If what they want is also going to be good for business, of course I'm going to do it. Why wouldn't you do what the overwhelming majority of your customer base wants? "The future of our business is smokefree. If it isn't in your city yet, it will be. Going smokefree now lets you make a favorable impression on guests who will be regulars when a smokefree measure passes, like in Lexington, Kentucky. "Oh, by the way, if anybody tries to sell you a ventilation 'solution' instead, don't buy it. We tried them and they don't work. It's easier and cheaper to just go smokefree. "I've got the numbers to prove it." Get the facts at TobaccoScam.ucsf.edu tobaccoscam Big Tobacco is lying. Again. TobaccoScam is a project of Stanton Glantz, PhD, of the School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco. San Francisco, CA 94143-1390.