Count down to the ban

[RFBuck]

Personally as a non-smoker, I'm not real fond of smoke in my face at a gig, either. But no way am I gonna celebrate if a place goes smoke free then the attendance drops the bottom out of the place - that's one less place for us to play.

Like Lisa, I'm kinda nervous about this one...it's bad enough DUI laws have people on the edge and keep them from coming (unless they have a DD).

[YankeeRose]

gladly.

What bar is it exactly? And where?

But the date will have to be post-ban

Ditto Bill and above.


To answer your question (unless I missed something...), The Alley Popper, in Houtzdale.



The years I resided in that fine town I always thought the 'Popper more a restaurant than a bar/club. I recall children's birthday parties being held there, which I transported children to and from.



Btw, for any RockPage gathering with new faces (I'd like to suggest carpooling. ), I now have nametags for anyone who would like one. I even bought some which state: "HELLO", and then have the area underneath for one to write their RockPage name.



I grew up in a household where both parents smoked. My father quit in the Spring of 1972 or '73. The $ he saved that year paid for fuel that Winter! Other than passively, I've never smoked cigarettes. My sinus issues and asthma will definitely be liking the cleaner air.



I wonder...how many non-smokers of legal tobacco partake of beans??? I suppose as with the Tootsie Pop conundrum, the world may never know.

[slackin@dabass]

when i moved to colorado, they passed a smoking ban like 2 or 3 weeks after i moved out there, and just the same as good ol' PA, there was alot of worry about losing business. honestly? most of the bars were just as crowded as before, they just had a large group of people standing outside. personally, i think it will change nothing. people will always drink, i think prohabition proved that. it sucks, as a smoker, that i am being discriminated against, but oh well. it's not like it's genocide.

[RamRod 1]

My friends in New York told me that the crowds bounced back within a couple of months and are the same as before. We'll see.

[Lisa]

One advantage we have over NY laws is that in NY, there are laws that govern how close to a building a person can smoke. We don't have that in our law. We can have smoking right smack outside the door if they so please. We do have a deck...its not covered yet...hopefully as funds allow we can do something to help provide a roof, some wind block and then some outside heat in the winter time.

[DirtySanchez]

One advantage we have over NY laws is that in NY, there are laws that govern how close to a building a person can smoke. We don't have that in our law. We can have smoking right smack outside the door if they so please. We do have a deck...its not covered yet...hopefully as funds allow we can do something to help provide a roof, some wind block and then some outside heat in the winter time.

NYC may have a distance thing, but elsewhere in NY state you can smoke on the porch/deck/patio and its ok.

[Lisa]

One advantage we have over NY laws is that in NY, there are laws that govern how close to a building a person can smoke. We don't have that in our law. We can have smoking right smack outside the door if they so please. We do have a deck...its not covered yet...hopefully as funds allow we can do something to help provide a roof, some wind block and then some outside heat in the winter time.

NYC may have a distance thing, but elsewhere in NY state you can smoke on the porch/deck/patio and its ok.

The bar I was at was not in the city..just on the other side of the border up near Bradford. You could not smoke near the building...they had a few tables outside that marked where you could smoke......the distance from the building is part of the state law in NY.

[DirtySanchez]

The bar I go to in Albion/Point Breeze (The Black North Inn.), lets you smoke on the porch because you can't take alcohol out there. If you can take alcohol outside then it's still considered "the bar" and you wouldn't be able to smoke. I'm pretty sure that's how it works.


Wow I must be bored to be debating this. haha

[moxham123]

There are three bars in the Johnstown/Windber area that have been 100% smoke free since they opened and two of them have bands and they are the busiest bars around.

I know many of the club owners are worried and the private clubs were given an unfair advantage that they do not have to follow the exact same rules with this law. Most other states have included private clubs and bars to follow the same rules. Pennsylvania's law has too many exceptions to make it fair for every venue. This will probably change to include the clubs at some point but who knows when that will happen in PA. That is what was holding up this law from passing years ago and the legislators came to a compromise on the private club issue with a lesser law just to get something out there.

Places I have been like New York, Massachusetts, and Ontario, Canada and, after speaking to club workers and band members, they told me they have all seen an increase in attendance because many of the non-smokers were now going out more and the smokers were still going out and smoking outside of the bars.

[Lisa]

First weekend with the new smoking ban went by. At this point, its hard to say if its hurt the business or not. Turnout for the comedy show and band was a little light but you never know if it was one thing or another. Its not really all that far from reality to have a light turnout once in awhile.

I haven't heard a lot of complaining from the customers though. We have our deck set up pretty nice for them to go and relax. Its pretty full at times. But thanks to IKE sweeping through, we were called last night to tell us that the winds caught the canopy...we don't know the damages yet.

Just don't know....That's the quick update from our point of view.

[Lisa]

Update on the ban...yes, I think we are losing some of our regulars. They are going to places that they can drink and smoke at the same time. There just really isn't anything we can do about it. They were fine with the deck as an option until the cold nights came along. Now they just don't want to have to go outside. Waiting to see all those anti-smoking folks to show up.

We are trying to expand our family dinner options...such as all you can eat pasta and pizza from 6-9pm on fridays (starting tomorrow) for $6.95. I haven't booked much for 2009 yet because I need to see what type of turnout we still get for band nights.

On busy nights we can afford to fire up the outside propane heater to help out but its not affordable as an option all the time. We had a canopy up that we were going to put up a wind block around but Hurricane ike liked it too much and took it with him. We have another one coming but we have to wait for it to get here.

We are one of the few non-smoking bars that allows you to take your drinks outside though on the deck. They do appreciate that...they don't like the cold.

That's the update.