Ann Arbor's Clover Leaf Restaurant goes smoke-free

Sign on the door at the Clover Leaf Restaurant in Ann Arbor

Jessica Webster | AnnArbor.com

The corner of 4th and Liberty streets in Ann Arbor is adorned with a new bright yellow banner, announcing that the Clover Leaf restaurant is now smoke-free. Long a destination for clientele looking for a place to linger over a cup of coffee and a cigarette, this is a significant change for the downtown restaurant.

"That was the problem," explains Clover Leaf owner Nick Stamadianos. "Our tables would fill up with people who would just order a coffee and hang out. That took tables away from people who would actually order food."

The Clover Leaf used to be non-smoking on the weekends, but Stamadianos decided to expand that policy to the rest of the week to encourage traffic. "Our regular customers understand, and just smoke outside. Business downtown is slow enough already - I didn't need to give people a reason not to come in."

The Clover Leaf is located at 201 E. Liberty St., and is open Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It serves classic diner food.

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Jessica Webster oversees Food & Drink coverage on the Community Team for AnnArbor.com. Contact her at JessicaWebster@AnnArbor.com.