ANNA MARIA – Bortell’s Lounge is going smokeless.

The big change will take place in conjunction with the American Cancer Society’s annual Great American Smokeout this Thursday, Nov. 19.

“Wednesday night when we close up shop we’re not going to do ashtrays,” owner Steve Rose said.

Rose and his wife, Marci Wilhelm, who affectionately refer to themselves as ‘The Rosehelms,’ bought Bortell’s in March.

“We made the collective decision that we want to end smoking in the bar,” he said.

“The feedback’s been positive. I’ve talked to a lot of people on the Island who say they don’t come in anymore because they smell like smoke when they leave. Even with our smoke-eaters, it gets pretty thick in here some days and that makes people uncomfortable, myself included.

“I was having a conversation with a girl who was smoking and I asked her what she thought. She takes a big drag off her cigarette and says, ‘I think it’s a great idea because if I have to go outside I’m going to smoke a lot less.’”

In regard to customers threatening to take their business elsewhere, Rose said, “We’ve had a few people voice that concern, but I feel like we’re going to win them over; and I think we’re going to see a lot more people who are willing to come in. At least once a day someone walks in, smells the smoke, and turns around and leaves.”

Rose doesn’t smoke, but his wife does.

“If there’s a lawsuit, it’ll be from her. She’s trying to quit; we’ll see how it goes.”

Smokers take solace, there will still be a place to smoke; it just won’t be inside.

“We put in a nice bit of landscaping right behind us, we call it the smoking lounge. We put in some benches and some nice palm trees back there,” he said of the refurbished area on the Spring Avenue side of the property.

The jury is still out on the increasingly popular electronic cigarettes and vaporizers.

“We want to let the vapors still stay inside. We’d like to allow people to smoke them, but if it gets obnoxious we’re going to probably end that,” he said.

Going smokeless was not driven by any plans to incorporate restaurant service.

“I don’t know that food’s in our future, we like what we do now,” Rose said, noting they do have some other renovations in mind.

Smoke-free clams

The ‘Rosehelms’ can look to the Cortez Clam Factory as an example of an establishment that recently made a similar change.

“Our food got so popular that we went ahead and switched last month to non-smoking, and it’s been a good response,” said co-owner Randy Ellis. “We have a smoking area where people can still step out and smoke. We’re putting up some new awning that’ll make it a great spot for them, but inside it’s smoke-free.”

When informed of the changes taking place at Bortell’s Ellis said. “It’s just going to take a little time to get used to it.”

Addressing a trend that has unfolded nationwide, Ellis said, “It seems like this area is the last of the dinosaurs and all across the country it seems like there’s stricter rules on smoking. Even when we were a smoking bar, we’d have people come down from up north who didn’t feel comfortable lighting up inside, so they would step outside.”

While enjoying a cigarette at an outside table on Monday afternoon, Clam Factory patron Ben Scurry commented on the recent change.

“I think it really helps the industry. It brings in people who want to eat and not have smoke all around them.”

When asked if he minds going outside to smoke, Scurry said, “Actually, it’s kind of nice. If you can smoke inside you light up anytime, but if you have to walk outside it gets kinds of strenuous, especially when you’ve had a couple drinks.”