Shot In The Dark: Smoked Out

May 17, 2005

Smoked Out

Tom Swift - blogger, political gadfly and Dave Thune's worst nightmare - has been following the progress of the smoking ban.

Oh, who are we kidding? Everyone knows it's been a disaster for bars.

Mike Lee, a manager at the iconic Lexington resturaunt on Grand Ave. is quoted as saying:

" The smoking ban has definately hurt our business."

"Our main dining room and our private party room are doing fine, but the bar, where we offer a full menu has been suffering at lunch when lobbists and legislators stop in, and late night when people used to come in for a brandy and a cigar or cigarette."

Driscoll notes that before the ban, the Lex's bar was always full until 11:30, or later but now Lee says "Now the bar is empty at 9:30, even on a Sunday night."

Up the street at Dixies on Grand, things are even worse.

"Business is down quite" a bit said owner John Wolf. "People can smoke on the patio during warm weather, but it's going to be bad this winter." "I'm not panicking yet, but I'm not hearing good things from anybody who's gone smoke free"

Wow. It's not like everyone wasn't predicting this, right?

Costello's Bar & Grill on Selby, which the wife and I visited last night and enjoyed the "No Thune" sticker prominently displayed on the door, has seen a large upswell in business. The bartender told us that Dave Thune's daughter and her boyfriend used to work there, but left after tha ban took effect.

Evidently they don't share the owners sense of humor.

Over in Minneapolis, where there are no exemptions possible, the story notes that Gabby's in Nord East has laid off 50% of their staff while the nearby Dubliner Pub on University in St. Paul is booming.

Private property rights advocates should be heartened by this news. Fact's are hard things to ignore and the facts are that this intrusion into our right to do as we please on private property is killing the hospitality business in the Twin Cities.

Well, naturally, not everyone:

Jeanne Weigum, the president and harpy-in-charge of the Association for Non-Smokers Rights isn't shedding any tears. Weigum and her crew, along with city council buffoon Dave Thune were largely responsible for the ban's enactment. Weigum is quoted as saying, "People will just have to adjust." "The buggy whip went out with the horse and carriage too, that's jsut the way it goes."

I found the next comment somewhat pleasing in a very vindictive way. One of the few resturaunts to support a smoking ban was the Tavern on Grand. In fact Weigum and Co. made a very public pilgrimage there to celabrate their victory, but evidently haven't made good on their promises to dine out more often now that they can find smoke free venues.

Oy, there's a blast from the past. Jeanne Weigum, one of the pack of überlefties from the old Minnesota Politics discussion forum; when Paul Wellstone yelled "jump", Jeanne Weigum replied "Off what?"

But at least the Ramsey County bars that can get exemptions are doing well. Read Swiftee.

Posted by Mitch at May 17, 2005 05:11 AM | TrackBack

Comments

Go see http://no-smoking.org/may05/05-04-05-5.html

Posted by: anonymous at May 17, 2005 08:40 AM

Data point: my lo cal bar in non-smoking Gwinnett County has a Texas Hold 'Em night. We didn't know they were in Gwinnett because they're near the county line and the room was an ashtray. Not our cup of tea, but we put up with it for the sake of some good gaming.

Then the bar got busted for permitting smoking, so the next game was a DISASTER: smoke breaks every 3 or 4 hands was the norm. We'll go back, but we'll have to pay the babysitter for an extra couple of hours.

Posted by: Brian Jones at May 17, 2005 09:19 AM

Up here in the hinterlands the ban has practically emptied the taverns. Not completely, of course, but you won't have any trouble finding a seat in places that used to be standing room only. Nobody "meets up" at the watering hole anymore and those who do drop in don't stay for supper. It's become a much more transient business -- no one comes in to watch the game or shoot pool, they typically just stop in for a beer or a bite to eat and leave.

What's sad about it is the ban has only further divided people. There aren't any new faces in these now sterile, pristine environments and the waitresses --you know, the "little people"-- are either being laid off or aren't making anywhere near the money in tips that they used to. Smokers have become the new lepers, and it's abundantly clear now that those who demanded the ban were never the ones in the bars anyway.

Sadder still, we used to always have a pretty good mix of old folks and young folks trading stories. It was also a good place to find the odd job and catch up on local news, but no more. The antler bars have lost their charm and while the elites will never admit it, all they've really done is make it tougher for college kids and single mothers to find a job and taken away the elders' community clubhouse.

Seems the cure is worse than the disease.

Posted by: Eracus at May 17, 2005 10:19 AM

My guess is that after the initial pain brought about by this sensible law that observes public health issues, a day will come when folks will ask, "Did you know that back until 2005 they used to allow smoking in bars?"

"No. How could they be so stupid?"

Posted by: pinkmonkeybird at May 17, 2005 02:37 PM

See? See? This is what happens when a guy starts playin' around with Apple Computers!

PMB, see me after class.

Posted by: swiftee at May 17, 2005 03:19 PM

Provided taverns and bars are still permitted, of course. There are more public health issues related to alcohol than there's ever been to tobacco, not that public health has anything to do with it. Maybe they'll ban restaurants too, all those calories and all.......

Posted by: Eracus at May 17, 2005 05:00 PM

OK, PMB, you're on.

I'm guessing that smoking bans will go the way of Prohibition, in about the same time span, or shorter.

So - see you in 2015. Bring your wallet. ;)

Posted by: Brian Jones at May 17, 2005 07:11 PM

So I take it Swiftee is a smoker... How did I know that one...

Posted by: Dan at May 18, 2005 10:08 AM

Hi, guys! Sorry I'm late to the discussion.

Brian: This is the first time I've heard a smoking ban blamed for a bad card game. I'll add that one to my files for later posting on our blog.

Eracus: Have you actually SEEN the disease(s) you suggest are not as bad as the cure? I have, in people who are close to me. The diseases are much, much worse than any scattered and/or temporary loss of business due to a smoking ban.

Scott: You are in the Pink again with your comments. Swiftee, maybe YOU should try a MAC. I've got one.

Brian: I'll put my money on PMB's bet.

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Posted by: online pharmacy at July 28, 2005 07:53 PM

Well, now I've heard everything:

"Eracus: Have you actually SEEN the disease(s) you suggest are not as bad as the cure? I have, in people who are close to me. The diseases are much, much worse than any scattered and/or temporary loss of business due to a smoking ban."

Hey, dipstick, I just came from a terminal cancer ward visiting a WWII patient, remember WWII vets, they're the ones who fought, so we could have our freedoms today as the press and politicians with no relatives in the service would say?

Do you know how many WWII vets have caught cancer 'cause of asbestosis?

Do you know how many WWII vets have gone to court trying to collect their money from "said" asbestosis and had something said akin to, "Well, you've smoked cigarettes at one time...that's why you have cancer. It's no fault of ours."

I'm sure all vets will thank you for pushing that complete crock of $hit.

I've seen the preceding happen.

Even the supposed "cancer experts" claim only 10% of heavy smokers die of lung cancer.

Second-hand smoke, which has never, ever, been proven to kill anyone, (Give me a name.) is the fad now, like devil influenced music was in the 80's.

I guess when I hear someone in their 80's or 90's tell me how stupid the smoking ban is, I figure they must know a whole lot more than some idiot who wants to control peoples personal choices.

Anyway, I have to leave...I feel that just by acknowledging you my intelligence has gone down a few points.

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