Area Restaurants, Bars Adapt As Minnesota "Butts Out"
Smoking Ban Now In Effect
On October 1, smoking became illegal in all workplaces in Minnesota, including bars.
This is certainly good news for non-smokers who work in bars and bar patrons who are bothered by smoke.
On the other hand, for those who can't imagine going to the bar without puffng a few cigarettes, October 1 may have marked the beginning of an era of road trips to Wisconsin for outings where imbibing and smoking can still go hand in hand.
Photo by Bruce Cochran
Local bar owners and managers certainly hope that area residents will resist the urge to cross the St. Croix when they go out for drinks, and they are busy designing and constructing smoking patios to try and stave off a drop in business.
"Everybody in the Hugo area [is building smoking patios]," said Hugo American Legion Post 622 Commander Phil Kamman.
Kathryn Anderson and Mike Anderson, owners of Carpenter's Steakhouse in Hugo, have proposed an outside seating area on Egg Lake as part of their longrange rebuilding plans.
Chad Wagner, owner of Miller's On Main in Lino Lakes, has included an outdoor patio in the new restaurant he is planning to build in Hugo.
Kamman said that the Legion plans on constructing some type of outdoor smoking structure but hasn't begun to build anything yet.
"It's kind of a no-brainer; you have to do it to keep up with the competition, so that's the only option you have," he added.
When asked how he thought the smoking ban would impact business at the Hugo Legion, Kamman said to "check back in a month."
While the October 1 smoking ban is certainly a concern for area bar managers and owners, it probably isn't as problematic as the recent bans in Hennepin and Ramsey County were for bars in those counties.
Since some surrounding counties didn't have bans, bar patrons who wanted to light up could simply take their business to other bars that still allowed smoking.
In response, many bars in Hennepin and Ramsey constructed semi-permanent "outside" smoking structures featuring roofs and amenities including space heaters and even TV's.
It's unclear whether a similar phenomenon will occur in the area after October 1, as outside smoking structures are regulated on the local level.
While the recent county bans were very troubling for bars located in the core of the Twin Cities, this time around the only businesses which will likely experience the same problem are bars close to the state lines. None of Minnesota's neighbors have smoking bans.
The Hugo City Council discussed the smoking ban at its September 17 meeting. Community Development Director Bryan Bear said that bars in the city had been talking with city staff about finding outside locations for smoking areas.
City Administrator Mike Ericson said that while the city is willing to help bars find suitable outside smoking locations, drinks won't be allowed outside, at least for the time being: that move would require an amendment to a bar's liquor license.
The state legislature passed the Freedom to Breathe Act last spring, and it was signed into law by Governor Tim Pawlenty.
According to ClearWay Minnesota, an independent, non-profit anti-smoking organization, the law makes Minnesota one of over a dozen states that have gone smoke-free.