Happy Hour at Stub and Herb's- Day one of the smoking ban.
March 31, 2005

30 of my 35 customers were smoke haters. This particular group of smoke haters told us they were from the American Lung Association and the Minnesota Department of Health. They ate half price appetizers and toasted the fresh air in the bar with their ice tea and water. One slipped my bartender a note saying "even if Stub and Herb's goes out of business, God will take care of him."

(Maybe they need the Texas water welcome?)

My bartender received a dollar tip and wants to quit.
 
Half of our regular Thursday lunch customers didn't come in for lunch.

Our band informed us they will be looking at St. Paul bars to play at.

A reader writes:  I walked into Liquor Lyle's in Uptown at 8:30 pm, anyone who knows this place knows it's noramally packed with a young smoking crowd standing room only, 300-400+. There were less than 20 people there at the time, I walked in the bouncer asked for my I.D. I first asked "can I smoke here?" he said "you can't smoke anywhere" to which I replied "ok I'm going to St. Paul".

Laramie WY First day of ban:
The most colorful story involved a Buckhorn customer, a man who wanted to go down in history as the first person arrested for violating the ban.  But when police arrived, "they wouldn't take him to jail," Besneatte said.

We have made it through the first weekend of the smoking ban. Sales at my bar were down each day by about 25% from the week before. Our Sunday food and liquor sales were reduced by 50%. One VFW was down 65%.

Customer reactions have been consistent. Most customers, smokers or not, are angry. Some stayed for shorter periods of time, some refused to patronize Minneapolis, some stayed home. My smoking customers are not buying a beer when they are outside having a smoke.

Being so close to the University my bar has customers visiting from out of state. These customers visiting this weekend stayed for one beer and left, they did not order food or another round of drinks. They informed us they will not be back, ever. Even some of my "regulars" are now informing me they will be going to a nearby county to drink as they become someone else's "regular" customer.

I spent some time in the small bars in NE Minneapolis this weekend, two bars had zero customers. One of the larger NE bars had many people outside smoking, angry customers who said they will not be back and would not stay as long as usual, keep in mind the weather was nice as they stood outside and smoked.
 
Bar owners around town compared notes...one bar in St. Paul was empty on Thursday night but after receiving a waiver on Friday noticed customer counts were well above average when smoking was allowed again. A bar in Anoka County (a county that just voted no ban) was crowed with transplants (customers and staff) from Ramsey County businesses who could no longer allow smoking. Versions of this were heard over and over again.

A small group of the smoke haters feel they need to visit my bar or send me an anonymous letters, telling me how stupid I am. One drove all the way from Burnsville to gloat and antagonize my customers. These gullible and uninformed people usually list inaccurate facts and are terrified SHS will kill them if they are exposed to a whiff of smoke. They do not realize SHS levels in bars with ventilation test at 150 times BELOW the OSHA safety limits. They do not understand the concept of private property rights and personal freedoms but they do exercise their freedom of speech rights. They are lucky some of my customers did not beat them up, my staff is well trained.
 
The city of Minneapolis has added insult to injury this weekend. In anticipation of the upcoming riots this weekend when the University of Minnesota Men's Hockey team play in the Frozen Four, they have capped all parking meters so no cars will be allowed to park on our streets. Of course bar owners will now be responsible for the smokers outside adding fuel to the fire. (Pun intended) Lets hope they are smart enough to have the garbage receptacles empty.

The first week of the Minneapolis, Bloomington and Hennepin County smoking ban has proved to be exactly the nightmare the bar owners expected. Customers who choose to smoke went to other establishments and those who do smoke spent less time and money in our bars.

Bars in St. Paul with waivers recorded record sales this past weekend. One particular bar owner who did not recieve a waiver in time for the first day of the ban reported sales "$ucked" on Thursday. However, Friday, with his waiver, he had record high sales.

Comments from bar owners over the weekend across the city and county reported sales down upt to 65%. On Saturday evening, two NE bars had zero customers. Another NE landmark reported sales down 40%. One VFW reported sales down 65%. A pull tab organization reported sales down 33%. A St. Louis Park bartender made $50 instead of the usual $200 she makes. The Anoka County bar I stopped into was full of Ramsey County residents who decided it was worth the mile drive to be able to smoke.

Enforcement to keep drinks inside and cigarettes outside has caused problems with noise, litter, vandalism, fights and drugs.

The first week of the ban has already damaged revenues for small businesses and our employees. That means bar owners will also be paying less taxes, employeing less staff and raising prices. Local government is out of control and it is costing us businesses, jobs and revenues and not one smoker has quit smoking.

4/8/05  The Hennepin County, Minneapolis and Bloomington smoking ban has already proved what bar owners have said from the beginning. Food sales are OK, liquor sales are down. Smoking customers are very angry or they simply behave like sheep as they troop outside to smoke. Nearby cities and counties are reporting record high sales.

Litter, vandalism and noise are already becoming a problem across the city and county. The first letter to the editor was printed yesterday saying our city was now a giant ashtray, please clean it up. Are you listening bar owners, an outdoor ban will be coming next!!!

Bar sales are still the number one concern. A NE landmark lost a banquet of 125 because the party could not smoke. A Bloomington bar owner received a e-mail from a council member pointing out what an immoral business the bar business was. The bar owner is too intimidated to show this to the press, he is afraid of retaliation. The same retaliation anyone who speaks out faces on many levels.

Several violent incidents have occurred. A bar owner in St. Paul spoke out publicly today warning women not to leave drinks unattended while they go outside to have a cigarette. The drinks have been drugged. Another bar owner on West Bank reported an altercation with the smokers and local gang members that got out of hand. A downtown club had a patron violently assaulted after going outside for a smoke. Several bars reported drug and alcohol use while customers are outside.

Some pathetic bar owners are happy to be down only 10 or 20%. The apathy and laziness of many bar owners is especially frustrating. As food sales remain the same or increase, liquor sales are down which of course reflects in the bottom line.  Many bar owners increased prices to attempt to make up for the lost sales. This will also help the smoke haters support the usual lie they tell saying revenues were not affected. The customers pay in more ways than dollars when local governments abuse their authority by passing unneeded regulations.

A local Minneapolis developer took out a classified ad yesterday, the ad read: Money no object for best candidate. Design media and community campaign for city council elections. He is willing to spend $1 million dollars to elect a new city council. I'm in!

There has been lots of talk about compromising with a 50-50 state wide ban for that elusive level playing field. Don't fall for it. This issue has nothing to do with SHS and everything to do with stopping the smoke haters who will never compromise. The smoke haters do not care about the employees, do not care about personal and property rights and do not care about our customers. Call your city council and county commissioners now!

4/14/05  I just received more evidence of how far these Smoke Nazis will go to get their way.  The manager of the American Legion 435 in Richfield handed me a laminated card that was being passed out at his Post that reads: "Upon entering a bar within the Hennepin County area: If you smell cigarette, pipe, or cigar smoke in the Mens Room, Ladies Room, or any back hallway; please call one of the numbers on the front of this card using only, the local pay phone and report the infraction."  Listed on the front of the card are the names of commissioners: Gail Dorfman, Peter McLaughlin, Randy Johnson, Linda Koblick, Mike Opat and Health Department along with their phone numbers.The punctuation is theirs not mine.  This is almost as bad as the Hitler Youth reporting their parents. 

Every day I hear from more and more business owners telling me the problems they are experiencing thanks to the smoking ban. I have heard staff is quitting because of reduced hours and lost tips, assaults and drug and alcohol use while customers are out smoking have increased, and city streets are a mess. I have heard revenue losses in Bloomington, Minneapolis, and Hennepin County down anywhere from 13% to 65%. One VFW has already informed their city they will no longer be donating charitable gambling revenues to the city coffers.

All the while, surrounding cities and counties report record sales.

Now that the first week of fun is over, business owners and staff are finally realizing how damaging these bans are. The blood, sweat, tears and money we have invested into our businesses and through no fault of our own has many wondering how long they will be able to hang on.

On one hand I want to shake all these stupid, lazy apathetic bar owners and ask them where the hell have they been. On the other hand maybe they will now start helping to get the smoking ban overturned.

One Minneapolis City Council member is telling people he has not heard negative comments about the smoking ban. The ignorant and gullible officials we have elected are not only stupid but they lie too. I personally have sent e-mails and called this man several times. Would everyone take a few minutes to contact each and every city council member and Hennepin County Commissioner?

I am also looking for bar owners or staff to attend a city council meeting and a county commissioners meeting to request a repeal of the bans. I could use some help lining these folks up and would like as many as possible to attend.

4/19/05  We are entering the third week of the ban. It is heartbreaking to hear the stories. Today I heard about 2 well established businesses who decided to stop serving lunches, more lost revenues and lost jobs. I heard about a NE Minneapolis nightclub who lost $20,000 in sales last weekend and tomorrow will lay off 20 employees.
 
Tonight I took my son to dinner at a large chain restaurant tonight, across the river in Ramsey County, they fall under there ban which is a 50-50 partial ban. The first thing I noticed, we didn't have to wait to be seated. The seats around the bar were empty. The management said business was down 20%, no one was applying for jobs (why would they) and the late night staff had informed them they had to look for other jobs in nearby counties because staff could not sustain the revenue losses.
 
Our lazy and apathetic bar owners are finally "motivated", maybe to little to late, but we do have hope.  We have lined up meetings with 5 council members in Minneapolis and are working on the rest of them. We have our lawsuit, and the appeal. We have another group of 13 bar owners ready to file a second lawsuit. We shall see.
 
We are now hearing some talk again about a state wide ban, which we thought was dead for this session. I keep trying to remind everyone: why would we want have every bar in the state suffer like we are? 23 states have voted down bans, make sure you state votes no.
 
This past week I have spoken at the Minnesotan Libertarian State Convention, to a group of Journalism students and the U of M and to a cable show in California. I told them of the battle we fight, with science and fact on our side, we face the up hill battle. But more and more I hear the general public on our side, they still value property rights. Get out there and tell our story. SHS will become known as the biggest fraud ever perpetuated on the general public, do something, anything to stop it.
 
I am hoping and praying and writing and calling and doing everything I can to get our smoking ban overturned. What are you doing? If your community isn't working against a smoking ban yet, they better be soon. Get organized now!

April 29, 2005  After just one month of a smoking ban the bars and restaurants in Minneapolis have proved the bar owners right and the smoke haters lie. Business has not increased, our staff and customers are not healthier and some businesses will not remain in business much longer. The nonsmokers are not coming out and spending more money, in fact they are leaving with their smoking friends to surrounding cities and counties with no bans. Businesses in those cities and counties continue to thank our foolish city council.

Revenue declines range from 10-65%. Businesses have cut staff and hours, some businesses have laid off up to 25 employees. Businesses that serve the hospitality industry have lost revenues as well. This includes the beer and liquor companies, the pop companies, food distributors, vending, charitable gaming organizations, and others all report declining revenues in Minneapolis. We estimate the first month has cost our city 614 jobs and over a million dollars in lost revenues. And that estimate is low. 

Our streets are a mess. Bars have put security staff outside to monitor customers. We must keep the drinks inside and the smokers outside. Noise, vandalism, assaults and drug use are on the increase. Record numbers of bar and restaurant owners have requested permits for patios, sidewalk cafes and tent parties. Of course you can no longer smoke in the tents so all the bars order smaller size tents.

We knew the smoke haters were lying, now we have the proof but it will take a lot of work to get the smoking ban ordinance overturned. Today we had about 100 bar owners meet with yet another council member...we won't give up. I wish these bar owners would have been this involved BEFORE the smoking ban was passed and we might have stopped it before we lost jobs, revenues and yes, businesses.

May 14, 2005  After 6 weeks we have had 3 bars close their doors, more are barely hanging on. Every single statement the smoke haters said has been proven a lie. Bar owners have been proven right but no one seems to care about the small business owner, lost revenues, and lost jobs.

Talking to a cab driver last night I asked him about the smoking ban. He said when people get in his cab and ask to smoke he tells them: he is not a bar, go ahead and smoke. EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT HAS RIDDEN IN HIS CAB TOLD HIM THEY DO NOT SUPPORT THE SMOKING BAN including nonsmokers.

Bar owners in surrounding counties without a ban continue to do a thriving business as do those exempted in the next county.

A doorman from a local nightclub was shot and killed on Thursday night. The smokers outside made good witnesses and they chased the killer who then jumped in the river. Police responded and pulled the killer from the river and he was then jailed. Tragically, immediate medical attention was not enough to save Mr. Walsh who had worked at the bar for 10 years.

Bar owners are slowly getting organized. At the first meeting with city council members we had 40 bar owners in attendance. The second produced 100 bar owners. While council members are not receptive to reviewing the issue, we finally have their attention. Bar owners are learning to play the "game" and we don't like it much. We will begin attending council meetings in mass until we can be heard before the entire council.

Of course we have a few bar owners who continue to lie and say their numbers are good. We all know better. We see the empty parking lots and talk to their staff. ST-1's are public record, so they can lie all they want but we can get the accurate figures.

It $ucks! But we aren't ready to quit yet.

http://mpaat.org/
MPAAT Awards 11 New Grants
The Board of Directors of the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco (MPAAT) approved grants for new research and to assist the work of community organizations in support of local smoke-free initiatives.
Contact:  Andrea Mowery
Director of Marketing and Communications
(952) 767-1404

Warning to Minnesotans: the communities targeted for smoking bans in 2005 are listed in this article. They include St. Cloud, Counties of Goodhue (Red Wing), Ramsey, Dakota and Washington.  MPAAT still wasting millions of dollars as they continue to lie to the public and scare them about SHS.

Want just one example? Vekich, MPAAT board chair, said "each year tobacco causes more than 5,600 deaths in Minnesota. The direct health care costs alone amount to almost $400. for every man, woman and child in Minnesota."

The American Cancer Society can't and won't justify the 3,000 lives they say are lost each year in the US, I would be very interested to see how MPAAT arrived at 5,600 deaths in Minnesota. $400 per resident in the state, just plain hog wash.

June 3, 2005   OK, we are about 2 months into the smoking ban. I would like to say again...the bar owners have clearly proven the smoke haters are liars and the situation continues to get worse. In Minneapolis, 29 businesses have closed, most attribute it mostly to the smoking ban. 22 businesses have requested outdoor expansion applications, all attributed to the smoking ban. 3 licenses have requested upgrades, my bar is one of them, all cite the smoking ban. I firmly believe if we had not added live music we would be near closing our doors for good. One owner has laid off his entire kitchen staff and he cooks from open to close. Another owner is bartending open to close just to keep the doors open. A night club has reduced hours to 4 nights per week and is offering free drinks, sometimes until midnight just to lure customers.
 
Over the last 2 months the non smokers have not come out to spend more money, in fact they follow their smoking friends to bars in other cities and counties that allow smoking. Bars in counties with partial bans, who do not qualify for waivers, report significant happy hour and late night business losses, some close early. Why bother opening for zero customers. The owners are very worried about winter. One bar reported before he received his waiver he watched customers of over 10 years walk over to the bar across the street to drink and smoke. Long time established businesses report being empty by 9:30, even on Saturday nights. Over and over you hear worried owners and staff wondering how long they can hang on.
 
The smoke haters want ALL bar owners to suffer as they continue to oppose partial bans and push for total bans. Nobody likes to sit in an empty bar no matter how clean the air is. The irony of staff leaving jobs, where due to loss of bussiness from the smoking bans, to work in bars that allow smoking is missed by many.
 
Bloomington has announced a rally on Monday June 6, 2005 at 7 PM for everyone to protest the smoking ban in their city. Bar business is deviated and with in the next 30 days several more will close. Sworn affidavits, describing unbelievable losses, from bar owners in both lawsuits, as well as Bloomington losses will be presented. Private clubs will announce hundreds of thousands of dollars once donated to city organizations by will be stopped for lack of revenue. One opponant of the smoking ban has just announced he will run for city council and we are all firmly behind Him! Way to go Jim!!! I personally will door knock for him.
 
Monday begins the appeal hearing for the first lawsuit filed. Even a little hope keeps people going...it won't last for long if we can't turn this around either legally or politically. It is very tough for the little guy to win against city hall but we aren't done yet.

Sue Jeffers
Stub and Herb's
612-384-4374
Minnesotans Against Smoking Bans

Read: Diary Of A Disaster  Page 2