February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
A recent study by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance indicates that sales in bars and restaurants in New York are at their highest levels in recent years.
Last March, one year after the introduction of the smoking ban, sales rose by 24.3 percent in New York City.
“Understandably, the figures went down a little bit after the smoking ban but I think they’ve recovered nicely,” according to Department spokesperson Thomas Bergin.
“Businesses are doing better now than they were before the ban, whatever difficulties they had have been resolved.”
However, many Irish bar owners argue that the smoking ban continues to choke their business.
“It has taken at least 70 percent of my day trade and 50 percent of my night trade,” according to Pat Withers, who owns Suffern’s Bar 32 in Rockland County. His bar lies on the border with New Jersey, where it is legal to smoke in bars and restaurants.
“New Jersey is literally across the street. Of course people are going to go where they can smoke with out having to sit out side in the rain or sweltering heat,” he said.
“Its not just affecting me — most of the kids who work here don’t smoke but would love to bring smoking back because their tips have decreased so much.”
According to anti-ban website www.hitmann.com, at least 150 bars in New York have closed or lost significant trade as a direct result of the smoking ban.
The site claims some Irish bars have reported losses of up to 50 percent, whilst others, like Fiddler’s Green Tavern in New York, have closed their doors since the smoking ban came into force. Bergin admitted that the study did not take into account bars that have closed down since the ban was introduced.
Said Jack Donavan, general manager of Donavan’s Pub and Restaurant in Woodside: “Its been another nail in the coffin; its very difficult to do business in New York.”
“It’s been positive for places like McDonalds, but pubs and restaurants have been affected negatively. If people are outside smoking, they’re not inside eating and drinking.”
One bartender in an Irish pub in Queens says the only way it can counter the effects of the smoking by flouting it occasionally.
“Winter is especially bad,” she said. “Business is ok at the moment, but it would definitely be better without the smoking ban.”
Bob Battipaglia, East coast sales manager with Castle Brands, who distribute Boru Vodka, says revenue that was lost following the ban, “never came back.”
“Business has dropped,” he said. “We started a huge outdoor advertising campaign last year to combat it.”
According to Robert Bookman, legal representative for the New York Nightlife Association, the ban has also led to spin-off problems associated with patrons standing outside licensed establishments to smoke.
“Since the ban, the number of noise complaints has increased and the cops are telling bar owners to do something about it. As a result of that, new license applications are receiving a higher degree of antagonism because the State wants to know what they’re going to do about smokers on the streets,” he said.
“There are numbers of people who are teetering, and when the time comes to renew their leases they’re going to be in trouble.”
Some Irish bars concur with the State’s study, however, like Maggie’s Place in midtown Manhattan.
“There was a huge dip in trade initially, which lasted a good part of a 18 months, but people are used to it now. I would say we’re back up the same levels,” said general manager Tory Delany.