July 27, 2005

Contact: Toni Flora-Mihalic
(717) 230-8806

Red Robin Restaurant Goes Smoke Free
Harrisburg Restaurant Adopts No-Smoking Policy Based on Customer Preferences

Harrisburg, PA - Red Robin announced today that it will implement a no-smoking policy at its Harrisburg restaurant starting tomorrow. The decision to join the growing ranks of Dauphin County dining establishments that have voluntarily chosen to go smoke free was based on an analysis of restaurant patron preferences and a desire to provide a healthy environment for employees and guests.

"After analyzing the data, it appears that our guests seem to far prefer a nonsmoking environment versus a smoking environment," said Jim Mitich, Vice President of Operations for Lehigh Valley Restaurant Group, the parent company for Red Robin. "Providing a healthy environment for our team members and our guests is an integral part of creating a Red Robin dining experience that is safe and fun."

Seventy-six percent of Pennsylvania residents are non-smokers. Exposure to cigarette smoke for even five minutes is harmful, causing a stiffening of the aorta, according to Annals of Internal Medicine. For employees working eight-hour shifts in smoke-filled environments, the health effects are the equivalent of smoking an entire pack of cigarettes. According to Pennsylvania Alliance to Control Tobacco (PACT), over 3,200 Pennsylvanians die each year from exposure to second-hand smoke.

"The decision to go smoke free makes Red Robin a much more family-friendly establishment," said Toni Flora-Mihalic, Program Manager at Clean Air Council, a statewide environmental group. "Red Robin is doing the right thing by listening to the majority of its patrons on this issue. They are creating a much safer, more-comfortable environment for their customers and employees."

Clean Air Council checks compliance with the Clean Indoor Air Act in every restaurant in Dauphin County for the Dauphin County Executive Commission on Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco. The Council then works to educate establishments that allow smoking on the benefits of going smoke free. There are currently over 200 smoke-free restaurants in Dauphin County.

Thursday will be the first smoke-free day for the Red Robin at 5125 Jonestown Road, Harrisburg. This makes all of the Red Robin restaurants in central Pennsylvania smoke free, including a Carlisle Red Robin to open in October. The three additional outlets elsewhere in the state are expected to adopt no-smoking policies by the end of the year. All Red Robin restaurants nationwide will be completely smoke free by January.

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