February 25th, 2008 by admin
Funeral Bells for Ohio clubs?
June 18th, 2007 by admin
Ohio recently passed a public smoking ban that everyone said would not have a direct effect on bars, restaraunts, etc. However, reports are starting to filter in from clubs across the region stating that their attendance numbers have drastically been effected since the ban went into effect. The live music scene in Ohio has already declined to a pathetic state of what it once was and the smoking ban could be the nail in the coffin for many clubs. Now, that the smoking ban has been in place for several weeks many small clubs are really starting to feel the effects of losing customers and I’m hearing the complaints that stretch from the Ohio river north to the shores of Lake Erie. I came across a good AP article that ran in my local newspaper Sunday morning. I want to discuss the state of the live music scene later…for now I just wanted to throw this story out there for people to check out. Feel free to voice your comments and here is the full story….
Ohio smokers jumping across state line to light up
By JOHN SEEWER
Associated Press Writer
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Bartender Tracy Smith quit her job in Ohio after voters banned smoking inside most public places so she could find work in Michigan.
It was a smart move.
Her tips are up and the bar where she now works is looking for more help now that smokers are crossing the state line to light up.
“We are getting new faces every day,” she said.
Bar owners across Ohio say the smoking ban is costing them customers, but along the edges of the state some are laying off employees and cutting hours because business is dwindling.
“When you’re on the border like we are, it’s going to take place,” said Rick Van Winkle, whose Red Front Tavern in New Paris is just two minutes from Indiana.
“Some of my regular customers haven’t been in for a month,” he said. “I’m sure that’s where they’re at.”
Patrick Carroll, president of the Cincinnati-based Buckeye Liquor Permit Holders Association, said it’s not just bar owners and employees who are hurting.
Beer and cigarette vendors are losing money too, he said.
The smoking ban took effect in December although many bar owners didn’t pick up their ashtrays until May when the state began enforcing the new smoking rules.
Since then, business has been down by about 65 percent at State Line Bar & Grill in Masury, which is just outside Youngstown and straddles Pennsylvania.
“It hurts tremendously,” said bartender Debbie Longley. “I don’t know what we’re going to do. It’s just a small family bar.”
Her hours have been cut from 50 a week to 20. “Eighty percent of my tips are gone,” she said.
Just down the road, Our Gang’s Lounge in Sharon, Pa., best known for its chicken wings, is seeing a lot of new people from Ohio, said manager Geno Rossi.
Many come in with a lot of questions.
“They are going bar to bar,” he said. “They’re looking for a new home. It’s like being on a first date.”
Smith, who began working six months ago at Rivalrys in Temperance, Mich., said she knows bartenders in the Toledo area who are now looking for work across the state line.
Her boss is hiring two cooks and three bartenders to keep up with the new customers, she said. She also makes an extra $50 or $75 a night in tips.
The bar’s good fortune could be short-lived though.
Lawmakers in Michigan now are debating whether to ban smoking in all bars and restaurants. Similar legislation is being considered in Pennsylvania.
Not all Ohio bars on the state line are hurting.
That’s because several counties along the Ohio River in West Virginia and Kentucky also have smoking bans, giving smokers no other options.
“If they could go across the river they’d do it,” said Roy Hehl, manager of Portsmouth Brewing Co. “I know I’d be one of them.”
