The second story: Act before the smoking ban
An old pub inCardiff finds it easy to embrace fresh air.
While pubs in England are still in a panic about the upcoming smoking ban in July, 2007, the Old Arcade, one of the oldest pubs in Cardiff, has undertaken a transformation before the deadline.
After six weeks’ refurbishment, it was reborn as a smoke-free venue in November. Meanwhile, a courtyard area with four heaters has been created for smokers. “This is a smart, contemporary solution for customers,” said Andrew Lynch-Wilson, the Old Arcade’s manager.
But changing to a smokeless pub was not an easy decision initially. According to research stated in The Publican Food Report 2006, 53 percent of the pubs in Wales expect to see a decline in trade once the smoking ban is imposed in April, 2007. For the Old Arcade, a traditional Welsh pub, the situation might be even worse. A lot of regular customers are used to lighting a cigarette over a glass of beer. Most of them will possibly feel strange with the unfamiliarly fresh atmosphere under the ban, and then go to elsewhere.
“How can I sit in a pub without a cigarette?” one of the regulars said to Ann, a waitress in the pub, when she carried out the survey preparing for the refurbishment.
However, the news from other non-smoking pubs is encouraging, such as the Conway. Early in January this year, the Conway banned smoking throughout the pub. Although the business was affected in the first few weeks, it got better quickly. More clients like to stay there longer which led to an increase in food sales.
“People have realized the importance of health. And nobody wants to go home smelling of smoke, even a smoker,” Ann said, “It is good for all of us. Now I really enjoy working in the Old Arcade.”
Many pubs are understanding the changing trends in people’s lifestyles. The earlier to meet the new demand, the better the business will be. More importantly, the pub could avoid suffering from sudden pressure when the smoking ban comes into force.
Even so, the Old Arcade still fully considers smokers’ demand. Pubs usually use two popular solutions to enable them to adapt to the new policy more easily. One is diversifying the food menu, another is investing in sheltered out-door spaces. What the Old Arcade did is to remove half the roof of the back room to create smokers’ courtyard, while using heaters to keep the place warm in winter.
Most customers said they loved this idea, but also, some didn’t feel that comfortable. “It’s good they’ve done something, but it will be cold when the rain starts or if there is a blizzard,” said a smoker.
Fortunately, apart from this, it seems the pub hasn’t met any difficulties in going smoke free, according to the manager. “It is just so surprising. We’ve got a lot of positive feedback and the sales have been better.” he said.
From mid-December, the pub will join a stop-smoking campaign by using beer mats to help people know more smoking facts. It is expected that more smokers will embrace fresh air with the pub this Christmas. (512 Words)
