Zagats confirms: Philadelphia City Council is the most amazingly inept political body ever

Tim Zagat, the founder of the famous restaurant guides bearing his name, wrote an editorial for the Philadelphia Business Journal, in which he basically calls Philadelphia provincial as fuck.

“Since my wife Nina and I started publishing Zagat Survey guides in 1979, we've found that … there are very few issues of taste about which people of all ages, genders and geographic regions can agree.

That's why it catches our attention when an issue garners the overwhelming support of the public. And it is clear from our surveys that the vast majority of Americans prefer their restaurants, bars and clubs to be smoke-free…

We recently surveyed more than 115,000 people for our 2006 America's Top Restaurants guide, and found that 89 percent of all Americans and 83 percent of Philadelphia respondents think smoking should be totally banned in restaurants…

Every time the issue comes up, opponents of smoke-free laws argue that these laws would devastate small businesses. The opposite is true. In three years as the chairman of NYC & Company, the official marketing, promotion and tourism arm of New York City, I watched New York transition into a smoke-free city and witnessed the positive impact the law had on our restaurants and nightlife.

Our 2004 survey found that 96 percent of New Yorkers were eating out as much -- or more -- after the law took effect. Moreover, studies showed that business receipts and employment increased for restaurants and bars, the number of liquor licenses increased and virtually all establishments were complying with the law.”

We were kind of hoping he’d wrap it up by calling people names, but, alas, he left that for us to do. Which is fine.

Related:
Zagat to Philly: I have no fucking idea how you stand these guys. Seriously. Have you ever been to a City Council hearing? They’re fucking absurd. Totally. Completely. Effing. Ridiculous. You’ll feel like you’re taking crazy pills. [PBJ]
It's not like this is fucking Berlin [Blinq]
Earlier:
Smoking bans hurt bars... NOT!

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