Managed company Mitchells & Butlers has called an early end to its trial smoking ban at six of the 12 pubs in Grimsby after trade fell, according to the Morning Advertiser.
The trial showed that customers want the flexibility of smoking and non-smoking areas in pubs, the company said.
The six pubs that are now readmitting smokers - five months into the six month trial - all experienced an undisclosed drop in sales as customers stayed away.
M&B's customer services director Simon Ward said the six pubs that now allow smoking are less reliant on food and family trade than the venues where the ban is still in place.
Of those pubs that now allow smoking, two are part of the Sizzling Pub Company chain, wet-led with good value food. Another is an Arena pub, which specialises in live entertainment. The other three pubs are unbranded.
Those pubs where smoking is still banned include three venues from M&B's food-led concepts - two Ember Inns and one Vintage Inn. The other three are unbranded.
Ward explained: “We've run the trial for the best part of five months and our intention was six months. We've learned as much as we are going to learn in these pubs.
“The message we are getting is customers wanted the flexibility to have smoking and non-smoking under the same roof.”
He added: “Any increase in food trade, in as much as there was any, was not enough to compensate.
“We noticed that in some trials outside Grimsby we will get an uplift in wine, soft drinks and coffee. This didn't really happen in those pubs (in Grimsby). I don't think they are big wine drinkers up there.”
Ward said the six pubs that now allow smoking will still provide large non-smoking areas. Typically, 50% of the floor space at the pubs will be non-smoking.
“In those pubs where that reaction has been most pronounced, we've gone back to smoking, but in each cases we have pretty extensive non-smoking areas with non-smoking room.”
The smoking ban will remain at the other six pubs at least until January, when M&B will review its next move.
Ward echoed recent views from Enterprise Inns chief executive Ted Tuppen and called for greater clarity from the Government on its smoking plans to ban smoking at pubs that “prepare and serve food”.
In particular, he said there must be a clearer definition of what is defined as food.
