VS: Atomic Cowboy has always been a smoke-free venue
BY CHIP SCHLOSS
Missouri state Sen. Joan Bray recently introduced statewide anti-smoking legislation. IS IT TIME FOR A SMOKING BAN IN MISSOURI?
Many people might think that as co-owner of the St. Louis bar and restaurant Atomic Cowboy, I should be preparing to use the courts to protect the status quo allowing cigarette smoking in local drinking & dining establishments. After all business would go up in smoke if not for all those patrons who would vehemently turn their backs on any bar or restaurant that willingly joins the growing restricted spaces that prohibit public smoking. In particular, bar owners feel the loss of cigarette smokers as smoking customers impact our establishments more significantly then just about any other kind of business. Bars have always had smoky atmospheres, it is part of the lore; and it is expected by everyone who walks through the door, whether you smoke or not. Bar owners and bartenders make their living appealing to folks who just want to relax with friends drink, smoke, and hang out. Bar owners want to keep customers inside their establishment, attracting their attention and dollars by addressing every possible need.
Social smokers are people who smoke while they drink and are one of the most prevalent types of smokers. If a customer has to get up and leave to go smoke a cigarette when it comes so naturally as a result of imbibing a cocktail or beer, then you short circuit the social aspect of these smoking customers. This conundrum threatens to rock the foundation of one of the oldest industries in the history of mankind. We all know or think we know St. Louis is loathe to change in many ways, it is one thing to ban cigarette smoking in bars & restaurants in liberal progressive California, but it is another thing to enact a ban like that here. So, since we were not legally forced to do so, why did my partner and I choose to make the Atomic Cowboy a “no smoking” venue?
We knew that opening a non-smoking venue would distinguish us from other bars, but that was hardly the sole impetus. However, our non smoking status is one of many reasons why Atomic Cowboy is such a popular destination. Many company parties and private events are booked at Atomic Cowboy because of our no smoking policy. It is one of the most frequent compliments we receive, people always comment how “refreshing it is to be able to go to a bar and not be overwhelmed by smoke.” Your senses are not assaulted by smoke when you walk into Atomic Cowboy. If you are not a smoker, cigarette smoke does not smell good, it is not appetizing and it is unpleasant to be around. Your eyes don’t start to burn at Atomic Cowboy, so our customers can actually stay longer.
Our customers appreciate that their hair and their clothes do not smell like cigarette smoke after spending time at Atomic Cowboy. When we open up in the morning, we appreciate that our place of business smells clean. If we have fresh flowers in the building, you can smell the fragrance; and if we have a Christmas tree you can smell the pine. Atomic Cowboy smells like fresh food being cooked when our kitchen is busy, but there are no lingering odors when the kitchen closes. Cigarette smoke permeates wood, carpet and drywall, not to mention it leaves residue that traps other odors and is hard to clean. If you use a deep fryer in a consistently smoky bar it quickly becomes a foul combination. There is a distinct odor to any aged old bar that has a smoker’s legacy, and it is not a smell people miss.
In addition, there are no burns on our counters, floors and furniture, no dirty ashtrays on every table, and no endless stream of cigarette butts to clean up or be discovered in the worst possible place at the worst possible time. The negative health attributes of second hand smoke are established facts and this has affected our cultural conscience as well, at Atomic Cowboy we choose to offer our customers a healthy environment as well as healthy food and drink.
We are active in our neighborhood and work hard to make our adjacent community a better place to work and live. We feel our approach to food, people and community as well as the responsible handling of trash created by a high volume establishment go hand in hand with our non-smoking policy. We feel any establishment would benefit from offering a non-smoking environment. We urge owner/operators to show concern for their customers’ welfare and send a strong message of responsibility and cleanliness by making their businesses smoke-free before a policy is mandated.
Chip Schloss is co-owner of Atomic Cowboy.
