Premier Lounge Patio

Excavation work taking place in the space next to the Premier Lounge on North Washington.  I would guess the plan is to put a patio adjoining the bar to provide an area for bar patrons to smoke without having them clutter the sidewalk in front of the Premier. 

If so, this would leave Stix, PK's and the Icebox as the only bars in town without an adjoining outdoor area designed for that purpose.  PK's is working on getting an easement allowing the bar to close off the east end of the alley running just south of the building, making a patio area there, but it is moving very slowly.

Given Illinois state law, it appears almost an imperative for a successful bar to have an outdoor smoking area, preferably covered, for the convenience of their customers.  Both Traz and The Cellar have installed screened off patio areas in the past year.  No idea how their business has been affected but The Cellar has a steady traffic stream during open hours.

Cigarette Ban

Article in the Southeast Missourian looking at the effects on business of the smoking bans enacted in Columbia MO (4 years ago) and Carbondale (2 years ago). No indication in the article regarding any economic or health effects from the ban in either city, just feelings on the part of each mayor that business hasn't been harmed but, in the case of Mayor Cole, also a belief that proponents of the ban haven't gone into bars more often as a result of putting it in place..