Proof That A Public Smoking Ban Might Not Hurt Your Restaurant Business After All
I still remember the feeling when a public smoking ban was first announced in the area where I used to operate. I had patrons who were also heavy smokers. I worried that I’d lose a significant chunk of my revenue thanks to a new policy that obviously didn’t care about restaurant businesses and their owners. Boy was I wrong.
Let’s take a look at some research figures. Don’t overexert yourself like I did back then.
For starters, studies show that bars and restaurant businesses didn’t experience a significant drop in revenue after implementation of a smoking ban.
An excerpt goes like this.
Still other studies have analyzed the impact of smoke-free policies on the number of licensed restaurants and/or bars. In their analysis of the New York City smoke-free restaurant policy, Hyland and Cummings, for example, found that the rate of growth in restaurants in the city was equivalent to that in nearby counties and the rest of the state. Similarly, in their analysis of the Lexington-Fayette County ordinance, Pyles and his colleagues found no effects on the overall rate of business openings and closings in the affected sector, as well as for both establishments licensed to serve alcohol and those that do not serve alcohol.
restaurant owners (myself included) anticipated heavy smokers to simply quit eating out altogether. But as you can see that didn’t happen.
Instead they cut down on their smoking and kept to their normal eating out habits. Some restaurant businesses even saw an increase in revenue as more people began eating out as a result of the new smoke-free environment.
Here is the thing. Some segments of the industry weren’t so lucky to follow this positive trend. Blue collar establishments were hit the hardest. Small local bars and bowling alleys experienced as much as 50% decline in revenues following the ban.
But public health is still the first and primary concern of the local government. Research shows that heart attack incidences in public places dropped by as much as 40%. The general air quality of restaurant and bars also went from “dangerous” to “normal” overnight.
I know it’s hard to hear the good news when you’re on the receiving end of the punch. But in the end this public smoking ban policy is the new reality that restaurant operators must face.
What do you think? I’d love to hear your opinions on this. Do you approve of it? Or against it? What was the effect of the public smoking ban on your restaurant business?