State of IL closes down today.
- Thread starter cueandcushion
- Start date
thebigdog said:
I think that is how Louisville enacted their ban. It was in stages. I noticed last year at DCC that the only place you could smoke was in the bar area and in your hotel room. Several years ago if you went into the hall way the smoke was thick as fog. I remember all the cue dealers complaining how all the wraps on their cues smelled after being there.
To nfty9er: I was unclear in my previous post, when I said that DCC was in a nonsmoking location...I meant the city of Louisville. I knew they had passed the non-smoking ordinance but did not know all the details of each phase and when it went into effect. I was being sarcastic by insinuating that any pool fan would avoid the DCC because of the smoking ban. Its absurd to think that. I was vague in my earlier post. Sorry.
In Illinois some bar owners have told me you have to be 15 ft from the front door to smoke. I do not for a second believe this will devestate the state of IL economy. Movie theaters didnt collapse when most chains banned it. Airline industry did not fold because of it. All the Ivy League universities that banned smoking are still thriving. I heard on MSNBC that 58% of ALL workplaces ban smoking now. But they didn't say where that number came from.
As a business owner, I am never thrilled with all the gov't red tape I have to jump through every year. Telling me that I have to have a 1.2 gallon flush toilet to conserve water and leave all my security doors unlocked in case of a fire...but I do it. All the people that say the gov't shouldnt be able to tell a business owner how to run his business???....I am assuming they have never run a business in their life. Those are really absurd statements. Without govt intervention you would not get overtime pay, you would have to work in asbestos environments, polluted water could be pumped into your coffee, OH and pesticides all over those coffee beans. Gov't is in the BUSINESS of protecting you...whether you like it or not. That is ALL the gov't does. What type of paint to use, what type of goggles to wear when my employee paints a door, what type of mask to wear, what type of work boots to wear, how long he is allowed to paint before a break, how long he works before I pay him overtime. It really never ends. Smoking laws are just one more in the list of THOUSANDS of regulations business owners have to abide by to follow the dream of being self employed. If I had over 25 employees my regulations would more than double. Then I have to fire my brothers and hire more women to put in pool tables...
How many girls do you know that can lift 2" thick slates for Gabriels tables....500 lbs each? Gov't....telling me what to do in my business since 1966. This was quite a rambling today.....I need food now...
our law went into effect july 21st 2006. it has turned what was a decent job / living into purely a break even deal with me working a 'regular' job and providing oversight and management for the pool room. we have cut our hours from 17 per day to 10. I knew the transition was going to be a struggle but now I am starting to wonder if we can survive. home gaming, casinos in every state, poker tourneys in peoples homes, and smoking laws are all combining to kill our industry. We are starting our 16th year in business, hope we start the 17th. Mark
Good Luck
I also hope you start your 17th Year Mark. With pool slowing down everywhere its harder to survive. We have done things in the past years that changed WHO and WHAT we were in order to do survive. Years ago the typical player in our room was a 40-50 yr old white male that liked to gamble and we didnt have very much else. Like out of a movie. Then the riverboats came in...all the gamblers left for the boats. We had to cater our business to a younger crowd. We didnt want to be stuck catering to people getting old and dying...or that is what WE would do. We got a juke box...started offering Student rates..put in some video games....added a ping pong table, air hockey, bumper pool table, whatever we could think of. All the regulars hated it, they all said how we would go bankrupt. Change is NEVER welcome in a pool hall but is needed to grow new blood. We are still around due to trying new things, relying more on retail sales than pool time, a lot of good luck, and a good foundation left to us by my father who started the business. The smoking laws everyone knew has been coming for years. We put in smoke eaters 15 years ago when we started catering to kids (bangers). We reduced smoke by 80% and some people still leave because smoke is too bad. Too much of our population is health oriented to not consider them for business. Selling energy drinks and Starbucks coffee sometimes adds 20% to our business at nights...who would have thought? We don't have alcohol and can at least pay to keep the lights on. If you have alcohol you have an advantage to bring in new blood. Just have to market to a different crowd than currently comes in. I wish you luck Mark...hate to see other room owners struggle. I know personally the toll it takes on you. Take Care.
I also hope you start your 17th Year Mark. With pool slowing down everywhere its harder to survive. We have done things in the past years that changed WHO and WHAT we were in order to do survive. Years ago the typical player in our room was a 40-50 yr old white male that liked to gamble and we didnt have very much else. Like out of a movie. Then the riverboats came in...all the gamblers left for the boats. We had to cater our business to a younger crowd. We didnt want to be stuck catering to people getting old and dying...or that is what WE would do. We got a juke box...started offering Student rates..put in some video games....added a ping pong table, air hockey, bumper pool table, whatever we could think of. All the regulars hated it, they all said how we would go bankrupt. Change is NEVER welcome in a pool hall but is needed to grow new blood. We are still around due to trying new things, relying more on retail sales than pool time, a lot of good luck, and a good foundation left to us by my father who started the business. The smoking laws everyone knew has been coming for years. We put in smoke eaters 15 years ago when we started catering to kids (bangers). We reduced smoke by 80% and some people still leave because smoke is too bad. Too much of our population is health oriented to not consider them for business. Selling energy drinks and Starbucks coffee sometimes adds 20% to our business at nights...who would have thought? We don't have alcohol and can at least pay to keep the lights on. If you have alcohol you have an advantage to bring in new blood. Just have to market to a different crowd than currently comes in. I wish you luck Mark...hate to see other room owners struggle. I know personally the toll it takes on you. Take Care.
I hear
they are on the verge of rioting up in Anchorage.
Yeah, the winers in Wichita are pushing for a no smoking ban. Business owners united with petitions in hand at the last city council meeting where it was brought up, and headed it off at the pass.
I suppose it is just a matter of time though, then you will see the smoking Police out in force to keep our society safe, while the gangbanger down the street shoots another innocent person.
Business owners should decide for themselves.
By the way, the 2nd hand smoke thing was decided on the side of caution, not because their were 'undisputable' facts. Jeesh, everyone that lives in L.A. or Pittsburgh is in much more danger than a little 2nd hand smoke could do to them.
they are on the verge of rioting up in Anchorage.
Yeah, the winers in Wichita are pushing for a no smoking ban. Business owners united with petitions in hand at the last city council meeting where it was brought up, and headed it off at the pass.
I suppose it is just a matter of time though, then you will see the smoking Police out in force to keep our society safe, while the gangbanger down the street shoots another innocent person.
Business owners should decide for themselves.
By the way, the 2nd hand smoke thing was decided on the side of caution, not because their were 'undisputable' facts. Jeesh, everyone that lives in L.A. or Pittsburgh is in much more danger than a little 2nd hand smoke could do to them.
Update 6 months later.
BUMP...
Wondering if anyone in IL has any updates on how the smoking ban has affected them?
BUMP...
Wondering if anyone in IL has any updates on how the smoking ban has affected them?
I've spoken to several of the pool room and bar owners on the IL side and most of them, MOST, have said there's not much of a difference after the initial shock wore off. The first 6-8 weeks business was down, but has been back to normal. This is overall, but not true for all. Some are better with the smoking ban and some are worse with it!
Zim
Zim
Thank you for the feedback Zim. I know you have contact with more rooms than most. That is good to hear things are getting back to normal.