www.FamilyRecRoom.com

Magnetic Bottle Opener $14.95

How Does The Smoking Ban Affect Business?

There's  a great deal of debate around the topic of smoking in bars and clubs these days.  With many communities instituting bans on public smoking, I'm hearing from a number of business owners asking what to expect.  Here's a little background…

The first memorable smoking bans were put in place in many government facilities. Unless someone worked for the government, the ban did not have too much of an effect. Then, California was the first state to ban smoking in bars and restaurants, and the state of New York soon followed that example. When this happened, there was a huge outcry from smokers and from the owners of eating and drinking establishments. Smokers feared their rights were being taken away, and business owners feared a reduction in income, and some even feared they would have to go out of business.  Today, many cities and states are following the lead and banning smoking in many, if not all public places.

There are many sides to the smoking ban debate, but many business owners have found that things are not as bad as they feared. Though some bars could get an exemption from the ban, they were hard to come by. That meant businesses had to adjust. Restaurants, for example, feared people would not eat out as often because they could not smoke after their meal. However, many found that because customers were not lingering after a meal for a cigarette or two, the tables turned over faster, resulting in more customers coming in and out each day and an increase in profits.

Club and bar owners were concerned because they felt many of their customers were smokers. However, many found out that the non-smokers who did not want to be subjected to secondhand smoke suddenly had a reason to go out. Smokers could smoke outside, and though there are a few problems with smokers crowding the entrance to an establishment, the adjustment for all was smoother than anticipated. There are some cases where clubs and bars went out of business or lost a substantial part of their income, but most fears were largely proven unfounded and business has been mostly unaffected.

For the business owners, what will happen when a smoking ban is put in place may not be as horrific as feared. Employees who do not smoke will feel much better at work, and new customers will come in to enjoy the smoke free atmosphere. Smokers adjust, and they learn to smoke outside without too much problem. To prevent the buildup of smokers near the front entrance, some clubs and bars - with the room to do so - have built smoking decks or areas outside and away from the entrance.  The fact is, this change is becoming more socially accepted by smokers and non-smokers alike.

Though most business owners won’t have too much of a problem with a smoking ban, there are some that seem to have trouble. These are establishments that are near state lines. If the next state over does not have a smoking ban, smokers will drive the extra time to be able to smoke while drinking and eating. This also happens near American Indian reservations where they have casinos and other entertainment venues. However, the non-smokers will still come, and after a while, most smokers get used to the new rules and will again stick closer to home when going out for dinner or a night on the town.

If your interested in hearing the experiences of other bar and club owners who have experienced the ban, or from patrons, feel free to visit out message forum and ask the additional questions you may have.