Lincolnite

Ok, so Cheerleader’s is the second establishment in the nearly 18 months since the smoking ban passed to use it as an excuse for its closure.  Given that no statistics have been found to show any real change (positive or negative) in overall bar/restaurant business since the ban passed (if there were any statistics to the contrary, we’d be hearing about them daily) and given that turnover in that industry is very high anyway, I’d say that it’s very unlikely that overall bar and restaurant business in Lincoln, on the whole, has been harmed by the ban.

That being said, there seems to be a reasonable amount of anecdotal evidence that the downtown/Haymarket locations are doing better than before the ban, and locations elsewhere are doing worse.  I think it’s largely a generational thing: smokers that are around my age grew up in an environment where smoking has always been socially stigmatized, and are used to going outside/not smoking when with friends/etc; therefore, the ban didn’t change their habits all that much.  One the other hand, smokers in the over-40 crowd had several decades of being able to smoke in any bar as they damn well pleased; so now, they’d rather stay home or drive than go to a smoke-free bar.

That’s just my 2 bits on the subject.

What’s the first establishment to close because of the smoking ban?

Oh, and good job on the headline, Mr. Wilson.

<em>What

<i>Bob

That will get you some good Google refs.

Since this is only the second establishment to close because of the smoking ban.  I’d be more likely to believe this one than Big Johns Billiard.  That was just stupidity.  If you use the excuse of the smoking ban only two weeks (or so) after it goes into effect closes your business either: 1) you wern’t doing that well anyway and the ban just pushed you over the cliff or 2) you are the worst owner in the history of mankind.

That being said…I enjoy going out when I do now cause I don’t come home smelling like smoke.  I frequent the free poker that many bars are putting on now and I don’t think I would go to as many as I do if there were smoking.

FWIW, the rumor I heard was that BC’s was sold as a result of the smoking ban.

cheerleaders closes early

Cheerleaders closes early due to burning rubber
By the Lincoln Journal Star

The final last call for Cheerleaders Bar and Grill came a little early Monday after two motorcyclists were burning rubber inside the business.

The building owner called police Monday evening to report the motorcyclists damaging carpet at 5560 S. 48th St., Lincoln police Capt. Douglas Srb said. They cited bar owner Dean L. Borgmann for vandalism after he allegedly allowed the riders to cut doughnuts in the building.

After responding to the call, officers asked for the bar to close, believing the vandalism would continue. Officers counted 33 people leaving the bar at about 7 p.m.

Last week Borgmann told the Journal Star he planned to close the bar after Monday. He cited a 30-percent loss in business since Lincoln enacted a city-wide public smoking ban last year as the reason for the closing.

Now that’s just high class. Attention all building owners in Lincoln: do not rent to this man!

The smoking ban may have been the least of their problems at Cheerleaders if management is willing to allow something like this to happen.

“The building owner called police Monday evening to report the motorcyclists damaging carpet at 5560 S. 48th St., Lincoln police Capt. Douglas Srb said. They cited bar owner Dean L. Borgmann for vandalism after he allegedly allowed the riders to cut doughnuts in the building.”