Smoking End in Myrtle Beach Bars and Restaurants
Smoking may soon end in Myrtle Beach bars and restaurants. Next month Smoke Free Horry plans to present Myrtle Beach City Council with research its done that shows the negative health impact secondhand smoke has. Some bars and restaurants that allow smoking believe a ban would drastically hurt their revenue. “We get a lot of regulars. We also have a lot of tourists who aren’t allowed to smoke cheap Golden Gate cigarette anywhere else in the country, but they smoke here and think it’s a privilege,” said Karen Marianos, bartender at Bummz in Myrtle Beach.
Marianos and fellow waitress Trese Friedemann smoke and fear a ban would kill the crowds they’re used to.
“When you have a drink you generally want to have a cigarette as well,” Friedemann said. “I think it would hurt business, especially the bar business.”
Smoke Free Horry said in other cities, like Charleston, a ban actually increased business by nearly six percent since its smoke free ordinance was passed.
“The amount of people, again, who want a smoke free environment far outweighs those people that may or may not choose to come to a place that is smoke free,” said George Durant, Smoke Free Horry spokesman.
This year the Myrtle Beach area Chamber of Commerce endorsed smoke free initiatives.
It found two-thirds of hotels, bars, retail stores, and restaurants that are chamber members prefer non smoking.
“If our membership base is largely in support of a certain initiative then our board is likely going to vote to support that as well,” said Nora Hembree, MBACC.
Bummz estimated 60% of its customers light up and doesn’t believe that revenue can be replaced with people who would otherwise eat there if there was no smoking.
“We do have a lot of locals that know what its about here and I think they would really miss it,” Friedemann said.
“You should have the decision whether you [have a] smoking bar or non smoking bar,” Marianos said. “You can post it on the door – smoking [or] non smoking, and if you don’t like it you don’t have to come in.”
Smoke Free Horry presented its research to North Myrtle Beach officials last week.
The group expects council to vote in the next several weeks. 30 cities in South Carolina have some sort of smoking ban. 27 states do as well.
About The Author
Comments