New smoking law could be costly for Va. businesses

Bob Bishop quit smoking some 20 years ago.

And now his business has to quit — or at least cut down — by December.

That’s when a state law goes into effect that restricts smoking in restaurants.

Bishop owns the Woodbridge Inn, and he said he’s lucky because abiding by the legislation will probably cost him only about $2,000. Others may have to spend thousands more, he said.

Regardless, the law, passed by the Virginia General Assembly in February and signed by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine in March, is something about which eatery owners are thinking.

It prohibits lighting up in restaurants unless there is a smoking room that is physically separated and independently ventilated from nonsmoking areas. However, it exempts private clubs such as lodges, and nonenclosed outdoor areas of establishments.

Bishop already has separate ventilation systems at the watering hole he’s owned for nearly three decades. So he’s expecting to have to enclose only one area.

Then there’s the fact that he owns the building on F Street. That means he doesn’t have to OK changes with a landlord.

Some bars that lease their space may have to just ban butts, he said. And when the smoke goes, so may the money.

“It’s going to run a lot of people out of business,” Bishop said.

The law stands to affect workers, as well. While employees at some restaurants might enjoy fresh air, Bishop said his bartenders wouldn’t log time at a place where they couldn’t spark a cig.

“They’ve all said if they can’t smoke, they aren’t working there,” he said.

The hospitality industry expects the law to essentially ban smoking in most eateries.

The Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association opposed the smoking legislation, arguing that it would put unnecessary regulatory burdens on restaurants, many of which voluntarily prohibit smoking.

About 60 percent of the state’s full-service restaurants already are smoke-free, according to statistics compiled by the Virginia Department of Health from restaurant inspections.

Supporters of public smoking bans point to numerous studies, many of them conducted by public health groups or agencies, indicating little or no impact on sales and employment at restaurants or clubs, and even a positive impact over time.

Opponents, however, say the studies don’t capture the whole picture, and that some restaurants are hurt by bans, especially small operations that cater to smokers.

“Even if [the economic impact] is only for a short period of time, why would the General Assembly have passed this legislation in this economic environment?” asked J. Glynn Loope, a lobbyist for a trade group of Virginia cigar sellers.

Business groups in some states that have adopted similar smoking laws say it doesn’t necessarily mean lost business, as long as the law applies equally to operations across the state.

Merrell Wreden, a spokesman for Hanover County-based AMF Bowling, which operates bowling centers in Virginia and other states, said smoking bans have had temporary effects on patronage elsewhere.

“The way it worked for us when the first smoking ban went into effect in California several years ago was our business was off immediately about 20 percent,” he said.

However, he added: “It took a while, but the business recovered.

“What happened in every state since then, there has usually been some effect on the business, but each time it seems to be less and the recovery time is shorter.”

Jay Miller hopes the new legislation doesn’t hurt his business at Gators Billiards and Cafe.

Miller said he’s waiting for legal advice on what to do so his Woodbridge business complies with regulations.

It’s possible that reworking the inside of Gators could cost $10,000 to $20,000.

He’s committed to making the changes, though, because he actually has more smoking customers than nonsmoking ones.

“We’ll figure it out,” he said.