Savor a cigarette with your beer now, Chicago smokers, because it’s going to be a lot tougher to find a place to puff after midnight on Jan. 1. The new year ushers in a statewide smoking ban that will relegate the hazy barroom to a mere memory. Here’s how a handful of local nightspots are dealing with the demise of beer’s favorite drinking buddy.
Fizz Bar & Grill
A heated, year-round patio with room for up to 100 people has long been a selling point for this casual Lakeview bar, but now the outdoor space carries an even bigger premium. The tented, open-air beer garden lacks walls, putting it beyond the reach of the smoking ban. Will this make Fizz the new go-to spot for Lakeview’s smoking set? Fizz bartender Kevin Anda says only time will tell. "People are upset," he says. "Some are considering quitting [smoking]. I guess we won’t know how it’ll go until January."
Sound-Bar
This 20,000-square-foot club is one of several River North nightspots that will require wrist bands for re-entry from a new, heated sidewalk smoking section, says director of operations Ranier B. Zach. Though the measure accommodates smokers, some see it as a potential hassle. "For bigger clubs like Sound-Bar it will definitely create a challenge, especially in the winter when people have to get their coats from the coat check every time they need to go outside to smoke," says Zach. "Some smokers will rather frequent smaller venues where it is easier to get in and out several times a night."
NV Penthouse Lounge
Bargoers who like to light up will still have options at this swanky new River North spot. NV will continue to allow both cigars and cigarettes on its eighth-floor terrace, a heated, 50-person space partially covered by a concrete awning. NV manager Stefanie Murauskas says plans are in the works for a more protective shelter that still falls within the ban’s parameters, but the club is holding off on advertising the smoking section until the warmer months. "I would hate for people to think it’s going to be like sitting in the lounge," she says. "It’s heated, but you’re still sitting outside in the winter."
Stone Lotus
Every cloud of smoke has a silver lining. This Near North Side lounge, for example, is using the ban as an excuse for a facelift. The club will welcome the New Year with reupholstered furniture and brand new carpeting untouched by smoke and tar. "There are upsides," says Stone Lotus marketing director Michelle Silverman. "Owners will be able to keep their venues nicer, and social smokers might find it easier to resist." Even tobacco companies are managing to get in on the gains. At Stone Lotus, Camel is sponsoring the heat lamps in a new outdoor smoking area accessible only through a devoted entrance, perfect for easy re-entries on busy nights.
SMOKE ’EM IF YOU GOT ’EM
Where can you still smoke indoors? It’s a pretty short list. Some of the city’s hookah bars—many of which also allow customers to smoke cigarettes, but not cigars or pipes—will continue to operate, but they must cease sales of liquor and food. House of Hookah, for instance, will eliminate food and liquor and go BYOB, as will Sigara Hookah Cafe & Lounge. Sigara is also expanding its tobacco selection.
Another option: Wicker Park tobacco lounge Marshall McGearty, which is surrendering its liquor license in order to continue its role as an oasis for nicotine-craving nightcrawlers. Of course, there’s always a good old-fashioned house party. Who’s got five on a keg and a case of Marlboros?
TIME TO BUTT OUT
Here’s the lowdown on the ban:
>> Indoor smoking is forbidden in all public places, including bars, restaurants and private clubs.
>> Smokers must remain at least 15 feet from business entrances.
>> Indoor smoking is allowed only in private residences, designated hotel rooms and businesses that generate 80 percent of profits from tobacco sales.
[ Ira Brooker is a Metromix special contributor. ]
metromix@tribune.com
Smoked out?
Nicotine fiends, take heart: Local bars and clubs are adapting so you can still sneak a puff
By Ira Brooker
December 27, 2007
NV Penthouse Lounge plans to open its eighth-floor terrace to smokers.
