CALIFORNIA: 5-year-old ban in bars leaves owners, customers fuming
SMOKING BAN IMPACT ON CALIFORNIA RESTAURANTS
NURSHELL TAVERN RT 1, Biddeford, Maine closes its doors due to smoking ban.
Press Herald News, January 6, 2000 - MINGLES COFFEE SHOP, Kitchener, closes after non-smoking bylaw passed - 45% drop in business. Kitchener-Waterloo Record, July 31, 2000
TWELVE RESTAURANTS CLOSE in Brookline, MA, after smoking ban decimates business, Lowell Sun, March 28, 2001.
Hotelier Don Ritailer, Victoria, fired his entire staff of 12.
A survey of 300 alcoholic beverage serving operations in CALIFORNIA, selected at random from a list of 7,216 shows that 60% experienced a decrease in business averaging more than 30%; 7% showed increased business averaging 8%. Guest Choice Network + 50.4% of the respondents indicated increase in customer complaints/fights; and 65% indicated a loss of regular customers plus 59.0% indicated a loss of tips/gratuities for the bar and/or serving staff.
130 TOBACCONISTS IN CALIFORNIA have been forced to close since the 1998 smoking bans and punitive tax increases SF Gate, July 1, 2001.
TWO MORE RESTAURANTS have closed in Weymouth, MA. J.C. Grear's in South Weymouth and the Aloha in Hingham. A fourth restaurant said business is way off. Weymouth News.
Clergymen complain that 40 BINGO HALLS have closed because of the smoking bam. These halls supported local charities. Sun-News, February 7, 2001.
Susan Barnes of the WATERWORKS RESTAURANT in Rockland MAINE said she has lost more then $8,000 a month in liquor sales to other establishments since the restaurant smoking ban went into effect. Bangor Daily News, February 5, 2000.
Peter Martin, owner of John Martin's MANOR RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE in Waterville, MAINE said he proclaimed all Sundays in January to be no-smoking. Food and beverage sales DROPPED 25% and off-track betting revenue dropped 30 percent, he said. Bangor Daily News, February 5, 2000.
The list goes on. BUSINESS'S NEED NO GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION! LEAVE THIS DECISION UP TO THE BUSINESS OWNER, ED MILLER AND SEN. KARL TURNER!