Arbor Brewing Co. has been smoke-free since August

Arbor Brewing Co. has been smoke-free since August

DYLAN CROASDILL

Contributor

The Michigan smoking ban, which went into effect on the first of May, has many business owners anxious over the prospect of being forced to alienate whole portions of their customer base; restaurants especially seem to fear the worst. However, the Arbor Brewing Company, a brewery and pub-house located on Washington Street between 4th Street and Main St. in downtown Ann Arbor, declared itself A smoke-free last year during August in response to the then-stalled legislation with nary a fear.  Rene Greff, a co-owner and manager of the Arbor Brewing Company, said that her experience with the Corner Brewery (which she and her husband, Matt, also own) in Ypsilanti, which has been smoke-free since it started, was what allowed her to feel confident about making the switch. The customer base of the Corner Brewery had always been willing enough to not smoke within the building, and praised the smoke-free environment the brewery was able to boast. “We’d been flirting with the idea of going smoke free (at the Arbor Brewing Company) for five years, but we were waiting for the legislation to pass,” Greff said. “Why go out on a limb like that alone? We didn’t think it was worth the risk, until last summer when it seemed like the policy would never pass.” After the Arbor Brewing Company finally decided to enforce its own no smoking policy last year, there was a short initial drop in attendance to the bar. The night-time crowds and “happy-hour Monday” patrons dissipated in notable numbers, seeking refuge at other bars. The small inconsistency produced by fleeing smokers was quickly made up for by vehement non-smokers and families, who began to visiting during the evenings when previously it had been too smoky. Not all smokers were driven away; there is an allotted space for them to smoke outside of the building, should the need arise. For the most part, though, it seems people were content not to smoke. “People didn’t come just to smoke, they came to enjoy the food and the ambience, and they still do,” Greff said. “I feel like it’s often lost in the politics that what (the smoking ban) is really about is the welfare of the employees. “It isn’t about government control of business or about restricting your freedom. It’s about keeping people healthy.” The second-hand smoke produced in one day at the average bar is equal to two to six times more smoke than the average smoker will make in a day, according to the American Lung Association. Which leads Greff to conclude: “No one should have to choose between their job and their health.”