Bars and Restaurants Adjusting to Smoking Ban in Lexington, Kentucky

Almost three years ago one of the most famous tobacco cities in the world decided to go smoke free: Lexington, Kentucky. While one can still see old tobacco warehouses around the city it serves as a reminder to some of the change of a states economy. In the summer of 2004 the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council voted for a public smoking ban in the city, a year later the state's biggest city, Louisville passed a similar law. Amid the debate of the law was a concern of restaurants and bars being able to keep business as usual. Today, Lexington is still smoke-free and business is still the same.

Immediately after the passing of the smoking ban, bars and restaurants were starting to see a decline in patronage so to counteract that effect, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council extended bar hours from 1 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. This seemed to do the trick and in the summer of 2004 Fish Tank, a popular bar close to the University of Kentucky, owner John Tresaloni said the extra time helped his business even in the slow time of the summer where most students go home.

"We've been really busy," he said. "Now that everyone is back for school, we are expecting even more business."

The later hours seemed to silence most of the critics of the smoking ban and led to a revitalization of the downtown area. With many new residential housing projects being built around Lexington's downtown, some contribute that to the increase in pedestrian traffic in the area. For those who were behind the smoking ban in its earliest stages the results are clear: Lexingtonians want to walk downtown due to the smoking ban. While others disagree saying that now smokers are forced to the sidewalks to light up, everyone agrees that Lexington has grown more in the past two years than many thought would be imaginable.

Not all bars survived however, High on Rose, another popular bar closed it's doors in late 2005. Before closing co-owner Yuka Swonke said that the hours were different to employees.

"While bartenders are getting a little bit more money than they were used to, they are also very tired by the end of the night," she said. "They leave around 4 a.m. to 5 a.m."

One of the only places you can still enjoy a smoke inside is in Martin's Cigar Shop. Owner and former mayoral candidate Charles Martin feels that the smoking ban should be repealed.

"The smoking ban isn't a health issue at all," Martin said. "It is all about small business owners' rights. If I want people to be able to smoke in my establishment I will let them and if an owner does not want smoking simply hanging a "no smoking" sign at the entrance should be good enough."

If your city or town is proposing a smoking ban, the most important thing to consider is how it really will affect business. If a tobacco town like Lexington can still thrive, chances are your town will be fine as well.