Fanning and flaming the smoking ban

Two months into the statewide smoking ban, Muskego and New Berlin area bar owners are expressing mixed - but largely positive - reactions to the effects it has had on their businesses.

For those business that feel the need to make adjustments, such as adding outdoor smoking area, local officials are looking to create rules which will help them adapt to the new environment.

Larger businesses, like Matty's Bar & Grille in New Berlin and Alpine Lanes in Muskego, report that they've seen almost no change in the number of patrons. Some smaller places, like R & B's Stagecoach Inn in Muskego, are suffering as a result of the loss of smoking customers.

Local bar and restaurant owners are hopeful that an influx of non-smoking customers will offset any loss of smoking customers.

Saving-a-seat solution

Matt Anderson, owner of Matty's, supports the ban.

"It has had no effect on us," said Anderson. "We might have had an increase in business."

Anderson says that in addition to eliminating smoking-related costs such as wall and carpet cleaning, as well as air filters, his business is finding that non-smoking customers are welcoming the change.

"When it comes to a customer that's happy with the ban, it comes down to health reasons," said Anderson, "and they like going home not smelling like smoke."

His smoking customers have adjusted well, he says, and, to accommodate them, Matty's supplies "save my seat" cards, which those customers can put down while they go outside for a smoke.

Not bowled over by change

Lloyd McIndoe, owner of Alpine Lanes, also says that the ban has had "minimal to no effect" on his business.

"I haven't seen a loss of bowlers because of the ban," said McIndoe, "and I haven't heard anyone say that they won't come in anymore because they can't smoke."

McIndoe says that, since his business is so family oriented, the ban might help bring in more business in the long run. He was also quick to point out that he doesn't yet know if the ban will affect his regular bowlers.

"We rely heavily on league bowlers," said McIndoe. "We don't know yet if those folks are going to quit (because of the ban)."

Also, McIndoe noted that local business owners won't really know how smokers are taking the ban until winter, when they'll have to go out into the cold to smoke. And when that time comes, McIndoe says his response to smokers will be simple: "The bottom line is that we're enforcing the law."

Snuffing out small bars?

Not every business is reacting positively to the ban, however.

Bonnie Acker of R & B's Stagecoach is adamant that she hates the ban. A smaller place like the Stagecoach, according to her, relied on smoking customers for business.

"I had customers who had been here since I started, and I lost them because of (the ban,)" said Acker. "They just don't come in."

Added Acker: "I'm really against it 100 percent. I'd like to see it gone and I'd like to go back to the way we were."

She maintains that it should be the decision of the business owner to allow customers to smoke or not, and whether people tolerate the smoke, it's their decision.

"I had (the smell) in my clothes, in my hair, but I put up with it," Acker said."It's my business, and if I want to make a living, I guess I have to do it."

Acker said she'll have to come up with a way to get her smoking customers back.

"I'm working on something," she said, "but I don't know what I'm going to do."

Municipal help

To address businesses' need to accommodate smoking customers, local officials are coming up with new rules to allow bars and restaurants to expand their serving areas outside.

Depending on each establishment's proximity to residences and other businesses, Muskego and New Berlin are willing to come up with individual plans for each business.

"We're trying to figure out how to balance in order to respect the neighbors of these bars," said New Berlin Mayor Jack Chiovatero, "yet keep the bars in business and let them prosper, the way they should."

In order to accommodate smoking customers, many local bars and restaurants have requested an extension to their premises, which would allow them to serve alcohol in outdoor, smoking-friendly areas.

Chiovatero acknowledged this may or may not fly with the neighbors, who would have to put up with the noise coming from these outdoor areas.

Typically when the city grants an extension of premise, the area needs to be fenced in or quartered off somehow in order to contain both noise and bar patrons, the mayor said.

Chiovatero said the New Berlin Common Council is trying to lay out requirements for local businesses who want these extensions, such as a certain distance from residences, or a nightly cutoff time for outdoor serving.

Similarly, Muskego Mayor John Johnson is looking into similar requirements to make sure that local businesses and patrons work well with the neighbors.

"We'll have to look at (the requests) as they come in," said Johnson, "but the council will be looking at it from the alcohol standpoint and the Plan Commission will have to approve them."

According to Johnson, even though each business will likely end up with a unique arrangement, it's important that the city comes up with a plan that will work in the future, because the decisions they make now establish a precedent.

"The city is thinking long term because it's a policy decision," said Johnson.

According to Chiovatero, if businesses are willing to work with the city and the neighbors, they shouldn't have a problem getting their request approved.

"I think the council is very sensitive to these establishments," said Chiovatero, "and wants to make sure that they can stay in business and compete on a level playing surface."