Smoking Ban!
By totalfoodservice
With some states threatening and some already putting in place a smoking ban, how do you keep people to stay at the bar and buy drinks? Do you utilize more drink specials and how?
Tags: alcohol, ban, bar, drink specials, no-smoking legislation
This entry was posted on July 9, 2008 at 6:07 pm and is filed under Restaurateurs and Foodservice Professionals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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July 10, 2008 at 2:45 am |
An alternative to smoking bans
It is clear that separation of smokers from non-smokers combined
with air exchange technology is a complete solution to this largely
artificial problem. All it takes is regulating authorities setting the
standards for indoor air quality on passive smoke, and the technology
does the rest. Such air quality standards are common in industrial
and environmental contexts. But, to date, no country in the world has
set them for smoking areas. It seems clear that the reasons are not
scientific, nor are they economic or technical: they are political.
As to the annoyance of smoking, a compromise between smokers and non-smokers
can be reached, through setting a quality standard and the use of modern
ventilation technology.
Air ventilation can easily create a comfortable environment that removes not
just passive smoke, but also and especially the potentially serious
contaminants that are independent from smoking.
Thomas Laprade
480 Rupert St.
Thunder Bay, Ont.
http://pasan.thetruthisalie.com
July 10, 2008 at 9:28 pm |
After a year of having a smoking ban in place our customers have now been trained to go outside to smoke. Some actually spend as much time outside with a smoke in hand as they do inside with a drink or fork. It has actually been a great thing now that we’re all on a level playing field.
Who wants to buy a couple of used smoke-eaters????
July 11, 2008 at 1:39 pm |
we don’t have that problem at ZINC, they step outside for a smoke. It may be that some restaurants may not be situated where they can step outside. Of course the quality of drinks keep them coming back.
jk
July 11, 2008 at 1:45 pm |
The smoking ban in Dallas is over 5 years old. We would have more of a problem allowing smoking at this point – so it is absolutely not an issue anymore. Our bar business took 2 or 3 years to recover, but it is actually stronger now than it was before the ban.
July 11, 2008 at 1:47 pm |
I would like to tell you that I have some sage advice to offer, but in all honesty a very small percentage of our clientele are smokers. We invoked a non smoking policy a year before it was mandated by law.
We have found however that by developing a bar menu some of our regular customers are coming more regularly. It is because the economy is difficult and they want something more affordable or is it that they so enjoy Marco’s (our infamous bartender) company and his outstanding Martini’s? Or possibly, they just want something that is lighter, more casual and less time consuming along with a really great glass of wine from our cellar and then to be on their way. Whatever it is, we are appreciative for their patronage and feel honored that they grace our bar with their presence.
July 11, 2008 at 1:48 pm |
the smoking ban is a great thing for restaurants and bars that sell alot of food because most patrons hate smoke and now the gov’t is the bad guy not us. Only your lower end places really suffer…..
July 11, 2008 at 1:51 pm |
we do not have a seated bar nor do we allow smoking in our restaurant
July 11, 2008 at 2:44 pm |
From what I have seen in bars and restaurants as long as there is a reasonable access to a smoking area the smokers will drink inside and then go outside to smoke and come back in to drink. There is always an adjustment period but people have the ability to adjust. If patrons that are smokers don’t want to hang out at a bar because they can no longer smoke there they don’t have a lot of options in a whole state smoking ban or they can go to an Indian casino and spend even more money
July 11, 2008 at 5:14 pm |
no problem for us…we’ve been a non smoking joint for 29 years:)…and we have only a service bar where we bring drinks to the tables,, don’t have a real “sitting” bar.
July 11, 2008 at 5:20 pm |
don’t have a bar so it isn’t really an issue for me. My restaurant has always been smoke free and I think that overall everyone I know smokers and non prefer even non smoking bars ultimately.
July 14, 2008 at 1:25 pm |
Marriott has gone non-smoke Nation Wide and no effects have been seen in the decline of bar activity.
July 15, 2008 at 1:47 pm |
We don’t run into a problem. Our bar outlets also have outside seating and service
July 15, 2008 at 1:51 pm |
Drink specials or a happy hour with accompanying hors D’oeuvres at a set price. Also giving free samples works well to promote house specialties. A restaurant could have a server passing small bites on a try to those out side smoking. In terms of smoking I feel that restaurants/bars need to have an outside seating area or benches with proper ash trays and offer drinks to those outside. Having a server outside asking for customer needs such as drinks or small bites is key. Furthermore, the bar can obtain a tobacco licence and sell cigars or cigarettes to those outside, like the candy girls in the 1920’s. This servers job is very simple make sure every smoker has a drink in hand so that the bar is brought outside to meet the needs of the smokers. Therefore, the smoking crowd feels that they are at the bar. There are many problems with this as many city’s don’t allow outside drinking without a permit or it’s outright illegal.
August 20, 2008 at 2:58 pm |
Smoking is so ‘old school’ it actually is expected to be no smoking in restaurants, food and cigarettes or cigars do not mix! Some, a very few of our guests and foreign visitors do go outside for a quick smoke and they (mostly) respect the fact that it is the norm here in Mass. It has not affected our business and I beleive has enhanced it especially with families.