BELGRADE (Serbia), December 30 (SeeNews) – Belgrade restaurants unable to offer smokers enough space have started to lose money due to a recently imposed smoking ban in Serbia, while smaller pubs and spacious restaurants remain largely unaffected, industry officials say.
Under the ban that took effect on November 11 Serbs are no longer allowed to smoke in closed premises with the exception of their own homes, designated smoking areas and hospitality facilities with an area of minimum 80 square metres. Smoking and non-smoking rooms must be equal in area with non-smokers seated closer to the entrance.
Out of 10 restaurants of various sizes in the Belgrade core surveyed by a SeeNews reporter, two - each with a visitors' area of some 150 square metres – experienced a 40% drop in revenue since the ban was imposed.
“Look at this [non smoking] room,” said Milija Bukara, waiter at established Belgrade tavern Zona Zamfirova, pointing to an empty hall with around 25 tables where just four guests sat.
"It is a murder, we are down 50% in revenue, maybe not 50% every day, but 40% at least," he said against the backdrop of loud murmur coming from the packed smoking area behind him.
Still, the drop in revenue seems less severe in other restaurants roughly the same size. An equally popular place, Stara Hercegovina, frequented by folk in search of tasty and cheap traditional food, posted a fall of about 6.0% since the ban went into force, according to its manager who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, it was business as usual at large-sized tavern Dva Jelena, a popular spot in Belgrade's Bohemian quarter of Skadarlija.
“We are big enough, we have six large rooms and can accommodate everyone, so it has not been a problem for us, even for large-scale events,” said the tavern's manager who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Two fish taverns actually saw their revenue rising recently due to Orthodox Christmas lent that begins on November 28 and ends on January 6. But a waitress in one of the taverns did complain of having to turn down some guests because the smoking area had got packed.
"It is very inconvenient, with guests skulking around at the door, waiting for a free table," Marija Radosavljevic said.
Pubs and taverns spreading on 80 square metres or less reported no fall in turnover but they saw no rise either because the number of smokers visiting them has not increased.
The government in Belgrade implemented the ban aiming to further synchronise its smoking regulations with those of the European Union that it hopes to join by 2016. Serbia applied to join the bloc in December of 2009.
Official Serbian statistics has it that some 69% of the country's population is non-smoking, while 31% smoke but when it comes to visitors of restaurants and bars the ratio is reverse, the president of the association of Belgrade restaurant owners, Nikola Dimitrijevic, told SeeNews.
"According to projections we made using the experience of other countries in the region, the sector will lose 20-37 percent of turnover in the first year of the ban," he said in his posh restaurant Frans.
“Right now, it’s just about lunch time. And if you stay long enough you will notice that the smoking room will start to get filled very quickly.
“This is especially important in the evening when the room permitting smoking almost always gets filled up. During the day it’s a tie between smoking and non-smoking guests, because during the day people are less inclined to smoke, but in the evening smokers outnumber non-smokers by far. It is also not uncommon that non-smokers will come in and request a seat in the smoking room because the mood is better there," he explained.
The smoking ban has affected most heavily the business of cafes and bistros at the University of Belgrade, for example the faculties of pharmacy and mathematics, Dimitrijevic said.
"I was talking to a colleague who ran a cafe at the faculty of pharmaceutics. He said he used to sell 350-400 coffees a day, now he says he is selling about 50," Dimitrijevic said.
The manager of the cafe located in the basement of the Law Faculty, who asked to remain anonymous, told SeeNews over the phone that the cafe's turnover is "exactly the same, down to the last para." Para is one 100th of Serbia's dinar currency.
The man behind the bar of the tavern at the third floor of the Mechanical Engineering Faculty avoided eye contact when asked about the impact of the ban, appeared to be arranging glassware already alligned in perfect order, and mumbled a word or two to his chin.
"Nothing's changed. Those that smoke can go there, and those that don't can stay here," he said pointing to a smoking area divided by a curtain from the rest of the locale.
Dimitrijevic said he does not expect any further smoking restrictions to be imposed in Serbia for a year or two.
"But it is on the agenda of the European Union to ban smoking completely from all places serving food by 2012," he said.
"As a general rule, the impact of such a measure implemented in other countries across the region has been catastrophic. In the first month or two months, 40 to 70 percent of restaurants posted a steep plunge in turnover and had to lay off workers," Dimitrijevic said, adding that restaurants usually need 12 to 18 months to adjust to a smoking ban.
"Some guests were lost forever, never to return. Others leave but change in about 12-18 months after they have acquired new habits. But during this period it's real chaos," Dimitrijevic said.