Winona, Minn. — Winona bars are reporting a steep decline in business a month after a statewide smoking ban went into effect.

At the 500 Club, bartender Becky Brinkmeyer has noticed some regulars aren’t staying as long. Others aren’t coming in at all. “People used to come in here because they can’t smoke in their car or home,” Brinkmeyer said. “Now they can’t smoke here.”

Bar owners throughout the state are reporting a drop in business as a result of the smoking ban, and with winter coming, they fear it could get worse.

The Winona American Legion has seen a similar decrease in sales, and not just alcohol. Bartender Barb Schewe says pull-tab charitable gambling sales are way down.

“We get the same people. They just don’t stay,” Schewe said. “Once it gets cold, I think it’ll be worse.”

The same story is playing out across the state, said Tavern League of Minnesota director of communications Sue Jeffers. “We’re feeling the pain everywhere,” Jeffers said.
Early estimates indicate an average loss of 20 to 30 percent in bar sales, Jeffers said. Places that also serve food are fairing better. Jeffers, a former bar owner, said a 2005 smoking ban in Hennepin County contributed to 137 bars closing.

The real test to for Winona bars will come in about six months, said Tom Overland, owner of The Bar and the Mankato Bar. He said both businesses have experienced about a 20 to 30 percent loss.

Source: :LaCrosse Tribune. Link

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