(no subject)

[lollardfish]

Any clue who I write to about the Minneapolis smoking ban? I spent money in bars last weekend in a Minneapolis bar /because/ it was smoke-free. Now the Hennepin Cnty Commission has temporarily reduced the ban to only apply to places that sell more food than liquor. Time to complain.

EDIT: After further review, while it seems clear that some bars have been hurt and that the demographic of bar use has changed (where people go, etc.), overall, the hospitality industry has remained pretty stable. So ... I feel bad for bars being hurt. My stance remains.

Comments

[mia-mcdavid.livejournal.com]

It's a tough issue. I yield to no one in my loathing for second-hand smoke, but Minneapolis bars that I like are going under because of this. I wish they'd make a uniform ban for the State.

Yeah, I guess that does make me some sort of totalitarian Nazi. Tough. Your right to smoke ends where my nostrils begin.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

What bars. Last figures I saw showed Mpls bars on the uptick. Both sides are skewing figures to suit their needs. And yes, it should be state-wide, oh, but then Wisconsin will be smoking ...

Someone has to lead. Let it be my city.

[mia-mcdavid.livejournal.com]

Molly Quinn's is having a really tough time. They have had to drastically cut their hours, and they may not make it through the end of the year. It's not a side I'm talking about, it's a place where my friends like to hang out. (Also the host of Riverfolk's release party, FWIW).

I just wish more would follow faster.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

Molly Quinn's is a nice place. It's run by nice people. It's not a very good bar, IMO. It looks like an Embers with a wierd door (cause it is an Embers with a wierd door). In a town with a lot of good pubs, Molly Quinn's has a lot more troubles than a smoking ban.

[pied-piper70.livejournal.com]

There have been five bars that have gone under over the past six months, mostly downtown...no, I can't name them all but that's the figure...And with Bloomington's smoking ban, the whole third floor of the MoA, which used to be packed on the weekends, is now mostly quiet and most of the bars there have closed as well...

[mizzlaurajean.livejournal.com]

As my lovely husband points out; If the bar needs smoking to keep it going they have bigger problems.

Smokers need to get over it or stay the hell home. But that's just MNSHO.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I can see the MoA being in real trouble.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

I really would like to know which bars.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

WCCO quotes 35 bars closed. (The story also mentions Molly Quinn's.) The PiPresssays the number is 11.

OK, and I am done violating my rule of not answer questions on LJ that one can google in under 5 minutes.

K. [but I was curious, too]

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

Har. Good rule. But laziness is easy!

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

The real question is what would close that wouldn't otherwise close. The Bar business is tenuous anyway.

[pied-piper70.livejournal.com]

Really, I blame Randy Kelly...If that nutjob actually had a brain and voted FOR the ban in St. Paul, I'll bet you the bar closings would've been minimized...And THAT'S why I voted him out this year...

And for the record, I also agree with the ban...from a health standpoint as well as from a performance standpoint...Besides, I LIKE coming home from dancing NOT smelling all stinking...