Despite early concerns from bar owners that sales would blow out the door after Washington state’s smoking ban was put into effect Dec. 8, 2005, North Kitsap taverns have since enjoyed a breath of fresh air.

The local response runs contrary to an Aug. 17 report from the Washington State Department of Revenue, which states that sales at bars and taverns has dropped since the prohibition of smoking in public places was enacted.

“No, not at all,” said Filling Station owner Adam Cobb when asked if he’d seen any decline in profits. “In fact, sales are up since the ban started.”

“It worked out kind of smooth,” Cobb said, adding that he’s seen an increase in customers because the smoke has cleared. “As soon as it went into effect, we saw new customers coming in the next day.”

Customers seem to enjoy patronizing restaurants and bars that they previously shied away from, parents are more apt to bring their children to non-smoking establishments, residents who might suffer smoke-related allergies or just don’t like the smell are also now bringing in business, Cobb said.

Portside Pub owner Steve Urand agreed, stating that the ban has actually helped his Poulsbo Wharf business.

“We have more people coming in here that normally wouldn’t — especially the wives,” Urand said.

After an initial decline in business when the ban went into effect, things have rebounded and the pub is doing very well, Urand said.

Across town, the ban has impacted the Mucky Duck on Viking Avenue, but everyone seems to be adapting, said cook Gilbert Wilkins.

“It ain’t helped,” Wilkins said. “There’s been a little drop, but you wouldn’t know it on the weekends.”

Customers inclined to light up, now do so outside instead of enjoying an after-dinner cigarette indoors, but Wilkins said overall there hasn’t been a dramatic impact.

“It’s been hard at the Troller (Bar and Grill in Suquamish),” said owner Rohn Rutledge, who also owns the Main Street Ale House in Kingston. “We’ve adapted, but we’ve suffered losses.”

The Ale House was non-smoking before the ban went into effect, and hasn’t seen any change in customers since it opened in 1998.

“Maybe we see more cigarette butts on the sidewalk,” said Main Street Ale House manager Russ Addy. “There’s more for us to clean up outside. That’s pretty much the only change here.”

The DOR report stated that the gross income of bars and taverns has dropped 3.4 percent since the ban was approved by voters.

“That covers all taverns, 1,000 different taverns across the state whose primary source of revenue is liquor,” said DOR spokesman Mike Gowrylow. “It’s difficult to separate some places that have bars. For the most part, restaurants don’t count, even if they have bars. The statistics look just at bars and taverns.”

The business can go up and down on its own, he added, and the fact that sales are down for bars can’t be attributed to the smoking ban yet. More data is needed to attribute the statistics to the new law, he said.

In the meantime, bars are trying new things to keep smokers as patrons. For Troller, Rutledge is working to create an outdoor smoking area that’s heated and covered so his customers have a place to go in the winter.

“Wintertime is going to be really hard on us,” he said. “This ban has created seasonality for smokers. During the winter, they’ll be at the casinos, and in the summer they go back to their local venues.”

Despite these concerns, local bars are adapting and even flourishing. With plans to open an outdoor area by winter, Rutledge said he is confident he won’t lose too many customers to the casino, which isn’t affected by the smoking ban.

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