The Facts About The Smoking Ban. If you're a business owner or not, this is a must read!

The Facts Online ^ | 11-01-03 | Dave Hitt

[CSM]

"Strange. I just called two of the restuarants you listed as closed and they are serving lunch! Hmmmmm"

Which ones?

[cinFLA]

Now, what caused the number of available customers to decrease?

The pool of available customers did NOT decrease.

[CSM]

"The pool of available customers did NOT decrease."

Prove it. Why would establishments that were in business for years, suddenly not be getting the revenues that they had been getting before the ban?

[CSM]

"The pool of available customers did NOT decrease."

From the article:

-385 league bowlers quit when the smoking ban went into effect

-our business has dropped in the lounge from $1,000 a day to $80. "

-"From September to February, we lost close to $80,000 in sales"

-Sales dropped 50%.

-"We've lost 70 members because of the ban"

-90 percent of her customers were smokers.

-"I can count on my fingers the people who don't smoke who come in here. The regulars say they won't come."

Looks to me like the available market decreased.

[xrp]

You really are a mental midget, which is typical of an anti freedom fighter!

No, he just likes governmental interference in business, freedom and liberty. Sorta makes you wonder what he is doing on FR instead of Democratic Underground.

[jsbankston]

Are you saying that smokers no longer go out to eat?

[Gabz]

Probably because their clientele were predominantly smokers who do not wish to go where they are forced to feel unwelcome.

[CSM]

"Are you saying that smokers no longer go out to eat?"

Boy, denseness abounds. No, that is not what I am saying. I am saying that some smokers no longer go out to eat, some smokers still go out. I can garuntee that less money per capita is being spent, therefore less revenue available.

Take a group of regulars that would generally stop at a bar after work and hang out, play pool/darts/GT, have a few rounds and tip the bartender very well. Now, that group stops by for a couple (an hour vs. 3or4 hours) doesn't bother playing pool/darts/GT because they will have to go outside and leave the game unattended. Then when they leave they tip on about 25% of what they used to drink. Drink revenue is down, vending revenue is down, etc.

A per capita decrease in spending is has the same effect of a decrease in customers. I was using the word customers, so I wouldn't lose anyone having difficult with the concept.

[cinFLA]

Totally unsubstantiated bs. I have already debunked some of their 'data' in a previous post.

[CSM]

I have often thought the same thing.

[Gabz]

No the smokers left because they no longer felt welcome.

These places are closing because the antis who promised a huge increase in business with smoking bans LIED.

[cherinfl]

You got that right!!!! I live in Florida and have not patronized one restaurant since the ban went into effect on July 1,2003.

If restaurant owners don't care enough about there property rights then why should I support them??

Let you non-smokers who are now thrilled that you can breath clean air go twice as much!!!

[Mears]

Good for you,taking your money elsewhere is the way to go. Make sure you write a letter to the idiots in the state house and alert them to this fact.

[CSM]

"Totally unsubstantiated bs. I have already debunked some of their 'data' in a previous post."

Not until you tell us who you called. Until you come clean on who you called, you have not debunked anything. I would believe the article over your "claim" any day.

Now, who did you call?

[Mears]

Someone with good,common sense----Thanks,it's refreshing.

[hotshot]

I'm going to all the ones where you used to go in Florida. Ah the clean air. Ah I can taste my food. I even left a better tip because my eyes didn't burn and my nose did not run in my food.

[Gabz]

Some of the worst hit places in Delaware, when it comes to restaurants, were those that had gone non-smoking on their own. Their market niche was taken away from them by the government.

If a place does a booming business with the same management and the quality of food and service for 20 years, bad food and bad management have nothing to do with why they are in financial trouble after a smoking ban. Stop being so silly and start being realistic.

The weather in Florida is vastly different that that of Delaware or other places in the northeast. Folks are not going to go where they don't like and why should they - it is their money they are spending.

[CSM]

"I'm going to all the ones where you used to go in Florida. Ah the clean air. Ah I can taste my food. I even left a better tip because my eyes didn't burn and my nose did not run in my food."

So you are punishing the business that used to cater to your preferences. You no longer reward the business that went out of their way to satisfy you. Sounds like you are a real loyal consumer. These business are probably really hurting now that you aren't spending all your lunch money at their place!

[kevao]

These places are closing because the antis who promised a huge increase in business with smoking bans LIED.

I don't know that they lied; but they certainly did get it wrong. I think they just waaaaaay overestimated the number of people who stayed away from bars/restaurants because of the smoke.

[Mears]

Making Mass non-smoking will not level the playing field for those establishments that are on the NH,RI,and VT border.CT also,but I think it has a ban.

Most of Southeastern and Central Mass is less than an hour away from Providence,a great restaurant city. A statewide ban in Mass will create a mess because Mass is geographically a small state and very easy to leave for an evening out.