Feeling The Ban Affects
Smoke-free law drives patrons away from some Exeter businesses
May 19, 2005
By MARILYN BELLEMORE
EXETER – Since Rhode Is-land became a smoke-free state on March 1, local businesses are feeling the affects to varying de-grees.
Owners of Homestead Restaurant on South County Trail and Middle of Nowhere Diner on Route 3 are hoping to accommodate customers with outside smoking areas.
Whereas, J.P.’s Exeter Pub, on Route 3, is losing the bulk of its business and is in fear of closing, according to long-time bartender Linda Osenkowski.
Matthew Thole, an owner of Homestead Restaurant, is seeking a liquor license expansion so that he can fence off an area out-side the building where customers can enjoy a smoke and a drink.
A public hearing will take place at the regular town council meeting in June.
“I noticed the customers were going outside,” said Thole. “I thought it would be nice to just take their drinks out with them as a convenience to them as smokers.”
Thole said the state recommends the area be 50 feet from the building and requires a barrier. In this case, it would be a wall.
“I spoke to the liquor control board and they sent me to the state department of health,” he said at a recent town council meeting. “They said they had no issue with it.”
Thole said that since the no smoking law was enforced in March, he has had the same amount of business.
But, that’s not the case for Neil White, owner of Middle of No-where Diner, who said he wouldn’t want to guess at how many customers he’s lost.
“It’s a large amount of people who used to sit, eat and smoke,” he said. “Now they might get a coffee and run. The ambiance has changed. The locals don’t stay. It definitely affects revenue.”
In the next couple of weeks, White said he would work at fixing the problem with the creation of a “glorified picnic grove” for the people who do smoke.
It will be a fenced in area outside the building, which accommodates about 30 people, weather pending, he said.
“If they [cigarettes] were so dangerous they would make them illegal,” said White. “The government doesn’t want to give up the tax dollar. “
Last summer, Gov. Donald Carcieri signed the Public Health and Workplace Safety Law that prevents smoking in public places and work places in Rhode Island.
If establishments are caught violating the law, owners are subject to a $1,000 fine.
In the case of J.P.’s Exeter Pub, business relies heavily on smoking customers.
Linda Osenkowski, a 23-year employee, said, “It’s bad. We’re not far from going under. This is just a small, little bar that doesn’t serve food. Just snacks and pizza. It’s really hurt us bad.”
She said businesses shouldn’t have to invest money to put decks outside. If people don’t want to smoke, they shouldn’t go to a bar.
“During the day, I have an older crowd. When you have bad weather, they can’t go outside. They’ll end up with pneumonia and die,” Osenkowski observed. “At night, the younger crowd is just not coming in. They want to be able to have a cigarette and a beer.”
At Little Country Pizza on Route 3, owner Vera Boutros, said, “there have been fewer customers who now take the or-ders to go.”
Places like Wolf Rock’s Country Kitchen on South County Trail doesn’t serve liquor, which owner Marty Enemo said is the reason “there’s no change.”
“They can’t go anywhere else and smoke,” said Enemo. “People will probably stay a little bit shorter time. I think it may have affected the bars. In the food industry, if you can’t go anywhere, you can’t go.”
At his restaurant in Oak Harbour Village, Chef Doug Graham calls the Celestial Caf? a smoke-free zone.
“We never had a smoking clientele,” he said. “We have increased business because people love how it’s non-smoking.”
Bill Andrews, owner of Caspita!, also in Oak Harbour Village, added that the fine dining eatery was non-smoking from the time it opened.
“It hasn’t been having any adverse affect on our business,” noted Andrews. “It’s probably helped because we’re so small. We’re not a bar. We’re a bistro. It’s a big difference.”
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