What The Heck Happened????

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SoftJock Rick said:
Interesting point Joe.

The beer guy was here yesterday, and we were shootin' the sh_t -- he delivers to quite a few local watering holes. Business is way down during the winter, because many are smokers, or hang out with smokers -- and they do not want to go outside and freeze, to have a smoke.

So, they don't go to the bars -- they go to a friends house.

It hurts every business in the long run -- from the farm owner, to the bar owner, to the beer distributor, et. al.
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Not to mention the Linen guy, maintainance product guy, the food disties, etc., and all the people THEY effect. And of course governor dumba** implements with both illegality AND REALLY bad timing- nailing whatever was left of NJs economy.

Though summer months do bring back some smoking customers ( what were a bar's majority of customers), here in NJ it's also "downtheshore" time, with many going away.

The worst part is that it was all for naught- a "look at me do good" law- which helped no one.

Certainly not the multitude of venues that went out of business or changed hands at distressed prices. Certainly not the ones that used to close at 2am now closing at 10 or 11 pm. ( remember people saying how- now with a "clean air establishment- nonsmokers would come out in droves? - well, WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY??? They are home- where they've always been. Smoking and drinking are both oral stimulation and intertwined.

It didn't help "the poor bar waitress who has to breathe second hand smoke" - she's out of work, or working for very few tips. Sorry, but if someone hires you for a job, find out what it entails, then take it or leave it and shut up.

The smoker?: Oh yeah, they're quitting in DROVES now, right?

The Economy? We've already been there...

Truth in action? Um, so that means smoke filled CASINO air is healthy, right? Oh yeah, and the NJ State Supreme Court has ruled ( and the ruling stands today) that just because a building opens it's doors TO the public, that DOESN'T make it a public building- only publicly OWNED buildings are public. This means that an example has been set for PRIVATE PROPERTY- like YOUR HOUSE.

.....gee, I hope I don't sound bitter, but the stupid is rampant out there- here's the latest.

The beach resort town of Point Pleasant, NJ has a budget problem, and has decided it could save money on cops and DPW workers by closing the bars 2 hours earlier, at 12.

Huh? This is a town where people come to party- THAT is what keeps it afloat. those 2 hours churn MANY THOUSANDS of dollars EACH NIGHT into the economy, employ many more people than the few cops and DPW guys.

And we aren't talking about even just those 2 hours. there are a buch of towns like this lined up along the shore, only a mile or two apart. Can't party at Point Pleasant? Drive down the road a mile or two and stay in Lavalette, Ortley, or Seaside. PP then loses hote/motel/rental business, retail business, etc... We need a nuclear anti-stupid bomb...
 
BTW, just a thought here (I can do this, it's my thread) :D


America is f'ing itself over, IMHO.


Many of the businesses and jobs that have carried us for years, since we gave up most of our manufacturing abilities -- we are now phasing out.

Entertainment service industry jobs!

Bartenders, waiters/waitresses, beer and soda delivery guys, entertainment, etc.


Why?

PC BS, and health BS!


In the old days, you could drink and smoke for 50-60 years, before it killed ya. Now, they give you a pill (or a hospital stay), and it can kill ya overnight.

And you don't even have a job to pay for yer funeral... :sqerr: :sqeek:
 
Ok, so I'm on a rant tonight -- bear with me here... :)


People say the no-smoking thing is great -- until they get their bar tab! :sqeek:

Did ya ever wonder why it cost $4-8 for a beer these days at a bar in NY/NJ?


It's easy, if ya do the math.

Drinkers aren't always smokers -- but smokers are almost always drinkers.

Take away a large portion of yer business, and somebody else has to pick up the difference... ;)


I rest my case yer honor, as I light up a smoke at home, and drink a nice beer that cost me 50 cents, and listen to my iPod :sqwink: :sqbiggrin:


Never mind, I'll just grab my fiddle while the whole country burns...
 
Joe, I tend to agree with the folks here. Your bookings picked up because your clients want the best. That's you. Being the best doesn't happen by dumb luck. You've earned it. :)

Gosh, don't get me started on the smoking bans. When the ban was shoved through in DE, bumper stickers started appearing that read "Land of the Free Except Delaware" and another that suggested the governor should be banned instead. :D

We had one guy, a tavern owner in Smyrna to run for governor. He was adamantly against the smoking ban and promised to rescind it or at least put it up for a vote as a referendum. He was better as a business owner than a politician and didn't raise enough money to work up a successful campaign.

Every so-called reason for the ban turned out be be a pisspot excuse. Like you mentioned, non smokers didn't return to the bars... mainly because they didn't patronize bars to begin with. Some folks who work in bars and clubs appreciate the nonsmoking environment but their tips are down. The casinos started seeing a drop as soon as the ban passed. It's come back a little but not to where it was. The restaurants didn't see an increase in receipts either.

But all it took was for one person to say he or she would patronize a retaurant or bar if there was no smoking. That was a fantasy but it was all that was needed to justify it. The numbers never panned out.

I guess the aspect of nonsmoking venues that irritates me most is this: When you're trying to DJ a wedding reception, 1/3 of your people are outside smoking at any given time. The B&G are nowhere to be found? Look outside the front door. Trying to herd 'em for the intros or special dances? May as well put on some background music 'til they're all done with their smoke break.

It's hard to keep a flow going on the dance floor, too. I used to do sets of two or three songs. Now it's one dance turn and they're out the door for a cigarette. Shirl and I did a wedding last year where, in the photos, the dance floor looked nearly empty. In honesty, the majority of the guests danced and had a good time. The reason the room looked so bare, a third of the guests and the B&G were outside smoking for most of the night.

That never happened at the VFW or Moose. The crowd could smoke in the house and they all stayed inside and danced. When they're outside smoking they lose the party mood.
 
SoftJock Rick said:
Ok, so I'm on a rant tonight -- bear with me here... :)


People say the no-smoking thing is great -- until they get their bar tab! :sqeek:

Did ya ever wonder why it cost $4-8 for a beer these days at a bar in NY/NJ?


It's easy, if ya do the math.

Drinkers aren't always smokers -- but smokers are almost always drinkers.

Take away a large portion of yer business, and somebody else has to pick up the difference... ;)


...
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.....and that means charging more money, which people no longer have, losing more customers, charging more, losing more.....

Not only that, but the venues have really cut down on marketing, something you just can't do in a poor economy. Result? Another shutdown.

Here in NJ, we had bars and restaurants that averaged a lifespan of 20 years or more. Now? Maybe 2.5 years. A BYOB? 18 months.
 
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