After hearing a manager of three newly smoke-free bars say the city’s new smoking ban has cost him customers, city councilors said they would revisit the ordinance to make it fairer to business owners.
At Monday night’s City Council meeting, councilors said they would discuss the law, which went into effect July 1, with officials from the city manager’s office on a date yet to be set.
The city gave many Eugene bars six-month reprieves to allow the businesses to build outdoor smoking areas. Customers at those bars can still puff away over a drink, while taverns unable to build smoking areas were forced last week to go totally smoke free.
This situation gives the bars with reprieves an unfair advantage over those without, said Councilor Pat Farr, who cast the lone vote against the ordinance when the council passed it Nov. 13.
“Also, people will be going to Springfield to smoke,” he warned.
Tom Fieland — manager of the Good Times Cafe & Bar, Wetlands Brew Pub & Sports Bar and Highland’s Brew Pub — told the council his businesses have taken significant cuts since the bars, which didn’t receive exemptions, went smoke free last week.
“A lot of our customers have been very faithful to us,” he said outside the council chambers. “But they don’t stay there for long. They’ll have one drink and go somewhere else to smoke.”
Some other newly smoke-free bars reported little or no change in sales during the past week.
The Black Forest Tavern, The Tiny Tavern and the Duck Inn reported no significant loss in business since they told customers to smoke outside.
“We have the usual number of complainers, but I don’t think it’s going to affect us as much as we thought it would,” said Barbara Zybach, who owns the Black Forest Tavern.
Bar owners and employees mentioned somewhat of a slowdown this week, but said it’s possible more people were drawn to Fourth of July celebrations and to Eugene’s Art & the Vineyard festival than to smoke-friendly Springfield and Eugene taverns.
They say the real test will come this winter, when rain and wind might make smoking porches and parking lots unappealing.
“I’m sure that will be different when it gets cold,” said Claire Hutton, a bartender at Good Times Cafe & Bar.
Tracy Olsen, the owner of Doc’s Pad, said he plans to build a patio and has begun looking into noise, litter and liquor control issues. He said he’ll hold onto his six-month exemption as long as possible because he isn’t certain a patio will be enough to retain his smoking customers.
“It’s still early to tell,” he said. “I hope people can just live with the rule, but that remains to be seen.”
Elian Howell, a bookkeeper at Groucho’s Restaurant & Bar, was more optimistic. Groucho’s has been smoke-free since it opened in 2000.
“I don’t think it’s hurt us at all,” she said, adding that the bar’s clean atmosphere and live music have drawn a loyal clientele.
But that loyalty at other bars might be challenged this winter, said Wes Kelley, who owns the Alibi Tavern in Springfield.
“Some people might be devoted for a while, but they might come drifting over here,” said Kelley, who said he didn’t notice more customers last week. “It depends on how much people want to drive around to smoke.”
Bartender Cheryl Welch at The Brick House in Springfield said she saw “a lot of new faces” last weekend.
“Usually Saturday nights aren’t too good for us, but this one was better,” she said.
Bar owners and restaurant lobbyists hoped the Oregon Legislature would overturn Eugene’s smoking ordinance, but a late-session compromise only reinforced Eugene’s ban.
Last Tuesday, the Legislature banned smoking in all workplaces, excluding bars and taverns, and blocked localities from passing smoking laws stricter than the state’s. However, the 17 smoking laws passed in Oregon municipalities before this month were protected.
To report a smoking violation or for more information, call the Lane County Health Department’s tobacco information hotline: (541) 682-6687.