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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

Posted on 11/06/2003 7:28:30 AM PST by SheLion

Every company's greatest assets are its customers, because without customers there is no company.
- Michael LeBoeuf

Businesses Harmed by Smoking Bans

Anti-smoking organizations insist that bans are somehow good for people in hospitality businesses. This chart shows otherwise. These businesses have lost a significant portion of their business as a direct result of smoking bans. Many are closed. Many that are still open have told us they doubt they'll survive much longer.

Most of this information comes directly from businesses that have contacted me or my colleagues. Some comes from newspaper articles. Blank spaces in the chart represent data that is unavailable, or that doesn't apply. (For instance, a distributor doesn't receive tips, and many owner-operators of small taverns don't have any employees other than themselves and family members.)


Business Type Of
Business
Closed? Business
Lost
Tips
Lost
Jobs
Lost
City State

 
Crocodile Cafe Restaurant Closed 100% 100% Tempe AZ
Pooch's Easy Street Billiards Pool Hall Closed 100% 100% Tempe AZ
Laurel Bowl Bowling Alley Closed 100% 100% San Luis Obispo CA
385 league bowlers quit when the smoking ban went into effect, with a loss of $200,000. Laurel Bowl had been in business for 37 years before the ban.
Alexander Mackenzie Inn Hotel Not Yet 92% 16 Fort St. John CAN
"Since we were `beaten' into compliance by the WCB, our business has dropped in the lounge from $1,000 a day to $80. "
Beacon Hill Arms Tavern Closed 100% 100% Ottawa CAN
Dave O'Connor, who successfully ran Ottawa's Beacon Hill Arms pub for nine years, said the ban forced him out of business. "From September to February, we lost close to $80,000 in sales"
Bud's Place Tavern Not Yet 23% Cambrage CAN
Gardeli's Bar/Restaurant Closed 100% 100% Castlegar CAN
Hemingway's Bar/Restaraunt Not Yet 40% 6 Ottawa CAN
MacKenzie Lounge Tavern Not Yet 80% Yellowknife CAN
Mingles Coffee Shoppe Coffee Shop Closed 100% 100% Kitchener CAN
Rupert Pub Tavern Closed 100% 100% Prince Rupert CAN
Sky Garden Restaurant Closed 100% 100% 6 Ottawa CAN
"It was 100% because of the bylaw. Sales dropped 50%. Our cups of coffee were down 400 to 500 a day, our meals 20 to 30 a day."
The Patch Tavern Not Yet 70% St. Albert CAN
Tubbys Pizza Pizza Parlor Not Yet 20% 2 Crescentwood CAN
Back Stage Cafe Bar/Restaurant Closed 100% 100% 20 Wilmington DE
Coach House Bar/Restaurant Closed 100% 100% 8 Wilmington DE
Just Mugs Saloon Tavern Not Yet 33% Bear DE
Naamans Cafe Restaurant Closed 100% 100% 8 Wilmington DE
Elks #1795 Lodge (Private Club) Not Yet 40% 22% Fort Walton FL
"Charity money is down 45%. Our Charities are Kids of Florida and the Veterans. That is who is really getting hurt the most by this!"
Elks #2256 Lodge (Private Club) Not Yet 20% 30% Pensacola Beach FL
"We've lost 70 members because of the ban"
Elks #2273 Lodge (Private Club) Not Yet 60% 60% 1 Plantation FL
Melons Bar & Grill Bar/Restruant Not Yet 50% Port Charlotte FL
The Falls Restaurant Closed 100% 100% Naples FL
"We lost 70 percent of our income," Renzello said. "The law put us out of business." 90 percent of her customers were smokers.
Bart's Bar/Restaurant Closed 100% 100% Louisville CO
Bart's had been in operation for nearly 30 years.
Gold Mine Restaraunt Bar/Restaraunt Not Yet 50% 50% 2 Fall River MA
"There should be places for both the smoker and nonsmoker. I do not smoke but you are killing our business!!! "
Buffalo Wings and Beer Bar/Restruant Not Yet 50% Gaithersburg MD
Gentleman Jim's Restaurant Not Yet 40% Gaithersburg MD
J.J. Muldoon's Bar/Restaurant Not Yet 20% Gaithersburg MD
Middlebrook Restaurant and Lounge Bar/Restaurant Not Yet 50% Germantown MD
"I'm so bitter today because I have worked too hard to keep this business going. It's just not fair."
Pelican Pete's Restaurant Not Yet 60% Germantown MD
Tommy Joe's Restaurant Restruant Not Yet 30% Bethesda MD
Nutshell Tavern Tavern Closed 100% 100% Biddeford ME
Village Variety Closed 100% Fryeburg ME
Grandma's Restaraunt Not Yet 33% Cloquet MN
Perkins Restaraunt Not Yet 26% Duluth MN
Aessa Bar/Restaurant Not Yet 35% 6 New York NY
Argyle's EasyStreet Tavern Tavern Not Yet 12% Cortland NY
Athens Cafe Restaurant Not Yet 55% 10 Astoria NY
Blessed Sacrament Church Bingo Not Yet 50% Albany NY
Brazen Head Pub Tavern Not Yet 40% Monroe NY
Brown Shanty Tavern Not Yet 20% 1 Watertown NY
Champions Billiards Cafe Brew Pub/Pool Hall Not Yet 33% Parkville NY
Chili American Legion Post 1830 Private Club Not Yet 70% Scottsville NY
Coleman's Irish Pub Bar/Restaurant Not Yet 19% 4 Syracuse NY
Crossroads Steak House Restaurant Closed 100% 100% Kennedy NY
Delmar Sportsman's Tavern Tavern Not Yet 30% 1 Massena NY
"We had hoped...nonsmokers who haven't been frequenting taverns due to the smoke-filled air would make up for at least some of the financial loss. Unfortunately, at least in our place, this has most definitely not happened. Our sales are at an all time low"
Desperado's Tavern Not Yet 90% Wallkill NY
"I can count on my fingers the people who don't smoke who come in here. The regulars say they won't come."
Dodesters Tavern Not Yet 9% Syracuse NY
Eagle Beverage Company Distributor Not Yet 25% N/A Oswego NY
"Deliveries to pubs and taverns have decreased substantially, greater than 25 percent."
Edigan's Restaurant Closed 100% 100% Binghamton NY
End Zone Bar/Restaurant Not Yet 30% 1 Liverpool NY
Euzkadi Restaurant Not Yet 50% New York NY
Fiddler's Green Tavern Closed 100% 100% New York NY
We have just lost too many customers to this law, which I did not vote for, bar owners did not vote for, bartenders did not vote for, and the public did not vote for."
Finish Line Bar/Restaurant Not Yet 40% 2 Bellerose NY
Fountain Bowl Bowling Alley Not Yet 40% N/A 8 Jamestown NY
Golden Rail Ale House Tavern Not Yet 75% Newburgh NY
Harry's Hanover Square Bar/Restaraunt Closed 100% 100 New York NY
"Overnight, we lost 60 percent of our evening bar trade. For the bar, it was the difference in profit and loss. Sales of expensive cigars had been almost as important as the sales of Scotch" Harry's had been in business for more than thirty years
Holmes & Watson's Tavern Not Yet 30% Troy NY
Hotel McDonald Hotel Not Yet 70% Bath NY
Just One More Tavern Not Yet 30% Bath NY
Liberty Lanes Bowling Not Yet 27% Camden NY
Mama Lena's Restaurant Closed 100% 100% Binghamton NY
Mama Lena's had been in business for more than 40 years.
Mel's Place Tavern Not Yet 78% 100% Falconer NY
"When we bought this place, we throught we were buying our American Dream. We ran it successfully for 10 years. Now the government is stripping us from making a living. "
Middleport Inn Bar/Restaurant Closed 100% 100% 13 Middleport NY
"This damn state really knows how to kill people's dreams."
Millennium Restaurant Not Yet 40% 3 New York NY
Nibsy's Pub Bar/Restaurant Not Yet 18% Syracuse NY
Rafferty's Bar/Restaurant Not Yet 35% 2 Syracuse NY
Richard's Ole Timer Bar/Restaurant Not Yet 17% 1 Clay NY
Roesch's Tavern Tavern Closed 100% 100% 5 New York NY
This had been a family business for more than a century
Salingers Tavern Not Yet 35% 2 Rochester NY
Sevens Bar Tavern Not Yet 10% Malone NY
Shamrock Tavern Tavern Not Yet 50% Oswego NY
"It's not right. Our livelihood is being taken away."
Slade Restaurant Not Yet 40% New York NY
Slick Willie's Billiard Hall Not Yet 25% Tonawanda NY
Stumble Inn Tavern Closed 100% 100% Champlain NY
Taylor's Trackside Bar/Restaurant Not Yet 50% Remsen NY
Temple Israel Bingo Not Yet 50% Albany NY
According to Herb Holland, some of the regulars told volunteers that they would abstain from playing bingo, to protest the smoking ban. He hasn't seen them since.
The Lilly Pad Tavern Closed 100% 100% Falconer NY
The Lodge at the Lake Inc Bar/Restaurant Not Yet 50% 1 Broadalbin NY
The Loft Tavern Not Yet 30% Frewsburg NY
"Our town has no attractions to draw in outsiders. We have only locals to rely on as patrons and 95% of them smoke. It will be worse when the snow sets in."
The Roadhouse Tavern Not Yet 40% Brewster NY
Thompson Road Tavern Bar/Restaurant Not Yet 25% Syracuse NY
Village Tavern Bar/Restaurant Not Yet 10% Marcellus NY
Bliss' Steak Ranch Restaurant Closed 100% 100% Eugene OR
Closed after 32 years in business
Doc's Pad Tavern Closed 100% 100% 24 Eugene OR
"Let's face it, the economy is horrible. But for us specifically, the smoking ban was the knockout punch." The Olsen family had owned Doc's for 16 years.
Max's Tavern Tavern Closed 100% 100% Eugene OR
The Peacock Tavern Not Yet 40% Corvallis OR
Connor owned the Peacock for years - and says it was the ban that caused him to sell the bar. He says business gross fell from $1.5 million in 1997, the year before the ban went into effect, to $900,000 last year.
China One Restaurant Closed 100% 100 Round Rock TX


CAN=Canada

If your business has been harmed by a smoking ban, or if you know of one that has been, please let us know. If possible, have the owner contact us. Newspaper articles are also welcome. Please include the URL. .

Click here to contact us.

Last Update: Saturday, November 01, 2003

© 2000 - 2003 Dave Hitt

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TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: antismokers; bans; butts; cigarettes; individualliberty; michaeldobbs; niconazis; prohibitionists; pufflist; smokingbans; taxes; tobacco
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To: cinFLA
These guys are dangerous

I find it somewhat ironic that you universally think that the drug legalization crowd is dangerous (I do think Soros is, but ALL anti-WoD people? No) yet you refuse to condemn the Gestapo tactics by government to invade private property, damage or destroy private property, sticking guns in the faces of highschool students and even summary executions without trials of American citizens, even children.

421 posted on 11/12/2003 5:28:31 AM PST by xrp
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To: cinFLA; Gabz
"Common sense tells us that it's just not possible for a small percentage of restaurant smokers who now can't smoke at the bar to have such a large impact on revenues."

Revenues vs. profit. Common sense, get some. Food, 10-20% profit. Alcohol, 200% profit.
422 posted on 11/12/2003 5:44:20 AM PST by CSM (Moose Flatulence, MF for short is a bain on our future. Stop the MF today!!! (Flurry, 11/06/2003))
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To: CSM
Revenues vs. profit. Common sense, get some. Food, 10-20% profit. Alcohol, 200% profit.

I'm sorry, I don't get it! Is there a difference between the Bud Light I can buy at the grocery store for about 60 cents a bottle and the same bottle of Bud Light that costs me $3 at a bar? I don't understand!!!

423 posted on 11/12/2003 6:06:33 AM PST by xrp
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To: SheLion
First, I would like to find out who these 2000 New Yorkers are who died of second hand smoke.

But, let me tell you: Many bars in NYC are ignoring the no-smoking ban. One I visit frequently, which will go unnamed, looks the other way when patrons smoke and often, the bartenders are smoking as well.

I also visited a bar/restaurant/cigar shop in Little Italy that blatantly allows any smoking, including cigar smoking, on the premises. I asked someone who works there about it, and he said, "The city is scared to death of us." They have been there for 45 years or so.
424 posted on 11/12/2003 6:13:34 AM PST by paulklenk (DEPORT HILLARY!)
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To: xrp
I often laugh at the fact that I am willing to pay $2.25 per MGD at a bar yet look for it on sale when buying it for home!
425 posted on 11/12/2003 6:40:10 AM PST by CSM (Moose Flatulence, MF for short is a bain on our future. Stop the MF today!!! (Flurry, 11/06/2003))
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To: xrp
find it somewhat ironic that you universally think that the drug legalization crowd is dangerous (I do think Soros is, but ALL anti-WoD people? No)

I find it ironic that YOU put words in other peoples' handles.

426 posted on 11/12/2003 6:46:57 AM PST by cinFLA
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To: Gabz
Of course I refute the conclusion. Because of the obvious bias in it.

Then we must refute ALL that you have posted due to your obvious bias. Besides, you haven't posted anything of substance; just ramblings while I have posted MANY items of fact.

427 posted on 11/12/2003 6:48:45 AM PST by cinFLA
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To: Gabz
Just remember - any place mentioned in any news story does not count.

I guess you will have to throw out the original story that started this thread, huh?

428 posted on 11/12/2003 6:50:22 AM PST by cinFLA
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To: SheLion
Just remember - any place mentioned in any news story does not count.


417 posted on 11/11/2003 9:38 PM PST by Gabz (Thank you Veterans, for your service to our country.)
429 posted on 11/12/2003 6:52:37 AM PST by cinFLA
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To: cinFLA
I find it ironic that YOU put words in other peoples' handles.

I find it ironic that YOU put words in other peoples' postings.

430 posted on 11/12/2003 6:55:12 AM PST by xrp
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To: Gabz
I agree with you. and they totaly UNDERestimated the number of people who would stay away if the ban went into effect.

Provide a basis for your claim.

431 posted on 11/12/2003 6:56:34 AM PST by cinFLA
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To: Gabz
"Second hand smoke causes asthma."

There is absolutely nothing to back up that statement in the way of scientific proof.

Second-hand smoke has been linked to asthma People whose partners smoke are nearly five times more likely to develop asthma in adulthood than those who are not exposed to passive smoking, according to new research. And those who are exposed to second hand smoke at work are more than twice as likely to develop respiratory problems.

The risks of exposing children to passive smoking are already well-documented but until now, a direct link between passive smoking and asthma in adults has not been proven.

Now a team of scientists, led by Maritta Jaakkola, from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in Helsinki, has produced the first hard evidence to prove that passive smoking does play a role in the development of adult asthma.

Exposure

The scientists studied a total of 718 people, none of whom had ever smoked, from a region in southern Finland.

A total of 231 had been diagnosed with asthma in the previous two-and-a-half years - the remaining 487 represented the control group.

The team compared the amount of exposure the two groups had had to passive smoking over a 12-month period and found that the development of adult asthma was more prevalent in those who had had the most exposure.

Maritta Jaakkola, who presented her findings at the 11th European Congress on Lung Disease and Respiratory Medicine in Berlin this week, said: "Our results demonstrate conclusively that passive smoking plays a role in the development of adult asthma."

'Ground-breaking study'

Clive Bates, from anti-smoking group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), believes the study will have enormous implications for employers who have not introduced anti-smoking regulations in the work-place.

He said: "This is a ground-breaking study which proves that passive smoking more than doubles the risk of developing asthma in adulthood.

"So, if employers have been negligent in reducing smoking in the work place, employees who develop asthma will have a fair chance of proving it was caused by passive smoking.

"And they will be able to claim thousands of pounds in compensation through the courts."

Mr Bates called on the government to introduce passive smoking legislation to reduce the risk of law suits to employers.

A German study, the results of which were also presented at the conference, linked passive smoking to lung cancer in women who had never smoked.

Meanwhile a study carried out in Italy reinforced the Finnish findings and also found that women were more likely to be exposed to passive smoking than men.

432 posted on 11/12/2003 7:02:47 AM PST by cinFLA
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To: xrp
I find it ironic that you, a non-smoker, soliciting for another girlfriend, would hang out on a smoking thread. I guess you don't mind the taste of an ashtray. Or maybe you just believe the old saying that girls that smoke are easy?
433 posted on 11/12/2003 7:22:18 AM PST by cinFLA
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To: cinFLA
I find it ironic that you, a non-smoker, soliciting for another girlfriend, would hang out on a smoking thread. I guess you don't mind the taste of an ashtray. Or maybe you just believe the old saying that girls that smoke are easy?

It has nothing to do with smoking, et al. It has to do with frenzied moral crusaders using government to force Americans to live their lives a particular way or run their business a particular way. Are we getting through that concrete noggin of yours yet?

434 posted on 11/12/2003 7:25:39 AM PST by xrp
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To: xrp
I know that your girlfriend doesn't know you are soliciting on FR for another gf but I have a question - Does your present gf smoke?
435 posted on 11/12/2003 7:36:01 AM PST by cinFLA
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To: cinFLA; Beck_isright
I know that your girlfriend doesn't know you are soliciting on FR for another gf but I have a question - Does your present gf smoke?

No way, I don't date smokers. Why do you insist on all the personal questions, while continuing to dodge my politically related questions posed to you, just like a liberal Democrat (You've been NAILED!).

436 posted on 11/12/2003 7:40:32 AM PST by xrp
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To: xrp
Why do you insist on all the personal questions,

Just trying to help you out. Maybe I will find the 'right' one for you!

437 posted on 11/12/2003 7:47:56 AM PST by cinFLA
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To: xrp
No way, I don't date smokers.

Why not? Is there something you find distasteful about smokers?

438 posted on 11/12/2003 7:49:16 AM PST by cinFLA
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To: cinFLA
Why not? Is there something you find distasteful about smokers?

Yes. I also find the consumption of coffee and pork and beans distasteful but I don't see the point in using government to prevent people from consuming them or running a business where people are allowed to drink coffee or serve pork and beans. What if someone tried to use the power of government to force me to stop eating steaks and drinking milk?

439 posted on 11/12/2003 7:53:02 AM PST by xrp
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To: xrp
Yes. I also find the consumption of coffee and pork and beans distasteful but I don't see the point in using government to prevent people from consuming them or running a business where people are allowed to drink coffee or serve pork and beans. What if someone tried to use the power of government to force me to stop eating steaks and drinking milk?

You mean to say that the government is trying to take away your right to date smokers? Wow! This is a new one on me. Please keep me informed. I will work to defend your right to date a smoker!

440 posted on 11/12/2003 8:05:34 AM PST by cinFLA
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