Archive for the ‘family’ tag
Innovation can mitigate smoking ban’s dent in business
By the end of this week, it will be illegal throughout the state of Michigan to smoke in a place of business. In the lengthy lead-up to the bill’s passage, some restaurants and bars went smoke-free by choice—the Arbor Brewing Company and my beloved Palace Cafe among them. Some business owners, like Steve Aemisigger of Hillside Lanes, note a surge in business following the change:
“We did lose a few league bowlers, but what we gained in open bowling and outings far exceeded what we lost,” Aemisegger said. “Our total lineage was up for the past year. We’re getting families back into the bowling center.”
I expect proponents of the ban to point to such establishments as shining models of what a better, smoke-free Michigan might look like, but a word of hesitation is necessary.
It would be wrong to assume that forcibly smoke-free establishments will prosper to the same extent that voluntarily smoke-free establishments have. Aemisigger’s story confirms that there is a tradeoff involved in going smoke-free: you lose some smoker business, but gain some nonsmoker business. The existence of a tradeoff allows us to discount sweeping generalizations that a statewide smoking ban will decimate business universally. This offers a glimmer of hope for establishments wary of the ban.
The problem is that the degree of the tradeoff varies from business to business: Family establishments may have a strong tradeoff, but blue collar bars will be lucky to break even—at least not without a substantial image revamp.
Even Aemisigger admits that Hillside Lanes’ smoke-free policy was accompanied by a great deal of reinvention to increase its appeal to families: an expanded menu, big screen televisions, and renovations to the snack bar and lounge.
It’s clear that one key to survival is to attract a new base, but establishments who serve a narrow clientele may find that easier said than done. Sadly, their fate is decided by politicians, not their loyal customers.
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Maurice
1929-2009
Born, lived, and died in Middle Branch Township, Osceola County, Michigan
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