W Lounge, first smoking bar to go smoke free in Salt Lake

When I bought the W in 2004, it was a smokey, crowded little bar. I began to cough horribly after being there 5 nights a week. I thought long and hard about losing business because people were in a habit of smoking there. My bar staff was against it. I was the only one for it.

Then I did it, on a Friday afternoon in April of 2005, I joined the Mayor, Rocky Anderson & Smoke Free Utah. That was my first smoke free night at the bar, and then we just continued it!

We fought with people. People called me names and said they would never come back to the bar.  I lost quite a few customers. We were constantly telling people they couldn't smoke inside anymore. It was really a rough 6 months.

As time went on, non smokers were thanking me, mothers-to-be were coming out to dance more, things were looking up. The biggest compliment was when a SMOKER actually told me they appreciated going outside to smoke! "No more washing my hair and clothes when I get home from the bar!" My bartenders later thanked me, my cough eventually went away (a year later) and we even built a seperate entrance to our patio!   

Thanks to everyone who supported me through those hard times!

Casey

Caseywlounge@comcast.net

myspace.com/wlounge