Port Cape Girardeau announces it will soon be entirely smoke-free

A big change is coming to Port Cape Girardeau. Starting Tuesday, there will be no smoking allowed throughout the facility. The restaurant side of the business has been smoke-free since 1989, but the smoking policy is being updated to include the bar and banquet facilities as well.

An announcement about the policy was made on the restaurant’s Facebook page and signed by the “Doc Cain Family.” Cain and Port Cape were at the forefront of the hotly contested smoking ban in 2011, when residents of Cape Girardeau narrowly voted against a smoking ban, allowing businesses to continue setting their own smoking policies.

“We still believe that choice belongs to business owners and not government or special interest,” the restaurant’s Facebook post read. “... This is strictly a business decision for Port Cape Girardeau.”

The Facebook post said the owners feel the elimination of smoking within Port Cape will enhance the appeal of the restaurant.

The Doc Cain family promised to do its best to accommodate its smoking customers as Port Cape transitions to a smoke-free facility and said it looked forward to bringing in new business while maintaining its regulars.