Nov. 20--Some Berks restaurant and bar owners feared a loss of business with September's statewide smoking ban.

Two months later, smoke has cleared out in most public establishments, and so have some of the customers.

But that may be attributed as much to a slumping economy as a restriction on smoking.

"We've taken a hit on our late night bar trade, maybe about a 5 percent loss. But our main food business actually picked up, maybe 10 percent in September and October," said Michael Pullano, owner of the Pike Cafe, Pike and Moss streets, a sports bar and restaurant with 40 television screens.

Pullano, critical of the state ban because it allowed club and business exceptions for smoking, feared his city restaurant would have been hurt more significantly because smoking is allowed in nearby clubs.

"We've really been lucky -- and actually picked up on our food trade," he said, adding 90 percent of our customers come from outside the city.

"The thing is we advertised to the nonsmokers -- the families -- and we have always prided ourselves on our food."

Playing to strength has worked on the opposite end of the smoking spectrum with Daniel V. De-Carlo, co-owner and bartender at DeCarlo's Bar & Grill, 240 Penn St., who often posts a sign outside the establishment telling smokers they are welcome.

"We have a strong late night business and a good younger and neighborhood mix of customers," DeCarlo said. "Selling alcoholic beverages is more than 80 percent of our business."

With more than 19 percent of his business going to food sales, DeCarlo said he barely squeezes under the state 20 percent rule, which allows smoking in bars where food amounts to no more than 20 percent of annual sales.

"We have a good bar food, but, you know, we are a neighborhood tavern. Smoking goes along with that," said DeCarlo, 33, a nonsmoker.

"We don't hear complaints from our nonsmokers," he added. "We have a 35-foot high ceiling and a good ventilation system since we reopened after remodeling two and half years ago.

"Truthfully, I'd say our business has stayed the same since the smoking ban."

Another owner reported a brief downturn.

"Actually, our business dropped a little bit after the fi rst week of the smoking ban, but then it bounced back to normal -- and we're seeing a lot of new faces," said Hamed Hassan, owner of the 24-hour West Reading Diner.

"I had no idea it was going to be this way, but we must go with the law," he said. " Smoking is allowed outside and people have been very cooperative. It (the ban) has actually encouraged some of our staff to quit smoking."

Alan Hulsizer, owner of Beverly Hills Tavern, Spring Township, and California Bar & Grill, Grill, also estimated a 5 percent loss in bar trade because of the smoking ban. He also said the economic downturn has coincided with the ban and that may also be a reason for the drop in sales.

"We've lost a few customers because of smoking, but not a lot," he said. We've put benches and ashtrays outside for smokers and tried to appeal to families to come inside. We're holding our prices and trying to be consistent with our food.

"I think the next five to six months is really going to be tricky, especially with the economy. When your bar trade gets hit, that's the area with the biggest profit margin, so that can be bad."

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