A Pubco boss says he may put up 'walk properly' signs next to his no smoking signs in a bid to stop reluctant smokers 'shuffling' out for a fag and damaging his carpets and floors in the process.
Tony Callaghan, founder and Managing Director of Wigan-based Yesteryear Pub Company, which has bars across the North West of England has labelled the reluctant walk to the designated smoking area 'The Wigan Traipse".
You can see reluctance in their body language as they walk out to have a smoke - it's a definite reluctant shuffling traipse, with foot contact on the floor surface probably twice as long as it needs to beTony Callaghan, founder and Managing Director of Yesteryear Pub Company.
And he says his patience - as well as his carpets - is wearing thin with the foot-draggers.
"We've studied this very carefully, and the damage to floors and carpets is all down to walking style," said Callaghan.
"You can see reluctance in their body language as they walk out to have a smoke - it's a definite reluctant shuffling traipse, with foot contact on the floor surface probably twice as long as it needs to be compared to if they were walking normally.
"If they walked instead of shuffled, they'd get through their fag and back to their pint a lot sooner.
"If matters don't improve soon, then I fear we may have to be putting up 'walk properly' signs next to the 'no smoking' signs.
"On average, there is a rolling 100 customers smoking outside each bar each day, and they make 20 visits each a day to the outside smoking area, an average return traipse of 32 yards. This equates to around about 250 traipse miles per pub per month."
Other than the impact on his floors Callaghan has been surprised how little effect the ban has had on his pubs.
He said: "We really did not know what to expect. Some of our bars are in real smokers' heartlands - but business levels have remained unchanged. The change in emphasis has been more people coming into bars for food, and a notable increase in family dining.
"The hardcore smokers are obviously nonplussed by it all, but they are accepting the ban with good grace and traipsing outside when they need a drag.
"One or two have admitted that they're cutting down - I suppose there is an upside to cutting down from 60 a day to 50 a day."