Because the establishment will provide tobacco and tobacco accessories and allow on-site smoking, the special-use permit was required to be approved by council. According to city officials, there are 11 facilities that offer smoking in Richardson, including two cigar lounges, five hookah lounges and four restaurants that offer hookah smoking.
The permit was originally passed 4-3 during a May 9 meeting with Council Members Bob Dubey, Ken Hutchenrider and Arefin Shamsul voting against it. According to City Secretary Aimee Nemer, an ordinance was then prepared for consideration by the council to the amend the comprehensive zoning ordinance at the June 13 meeting, as is the typical practice for zoning cases. During the June 13 council meeting, the special permit was denied 4-3 with Council Member Joe Cohcoran joining Dubey, Hutchenrider and Shamsul against the proposal.
Celik then refiled the special permit request with new wording to address noise concerns, and it was approved by the Richardson City Plan Commission on Sept. 20 in a 5-2 vote.
The special permit was approved 6-1 during the Oct. 10 council meeting, with Dubey being the lone council member to vote against the permit.
The restaurant’s owner, Mehmet Shon Celik, said he is proud of the support the community showed in helping push for his business’s approval.
“I am very grateful to the mayor and all the other council members that made it right after I invested so much money in Richardson,” he said.
Mayor Paul Voelker said council should not restrict local businesses for personal choices.
“I [understand] the health concerns,” Voelker said. “Both of my parents were three- or four-pack-a-day smokers, and I am sure secondhand smoke will affect me for the rest of my life. It’s an addiction, but it is a choice people make. When you decide to go to a restaurant or not based on your preferences; that is your choice.”
The restaurant is at 925 Abrams Road in the southeast area of Richardson. Celik said he plans to begin construction on the smoking patio as soon as possible.
City documents show the restaurant will operate on a 1,336-square-foot patio. City documents said the concept will be similar to Celik’s other concept in the Turkish Café & Lounge at 8412 Preston Road, Plano.
According to the permit, the smoking patio will be restricted to those age 21 and over.
In addition, the establishment’s hours of operation are limited from 11 a.m. to midnight on Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Live music, recorded music or any other type of live entertainment will be prohibited on both outdoor patios, according to city officials.
